82-Year-Old Cajun Narrowly Escaped Death After Incident While Crawfishing – Family’s Concern Saved Him

A Louisiana man went through a nightmare sequence of events when a crawfishing expedition went wrong.

Crawfish, which go by the assumed names of crayfish and crawdads in states outside Louisiana, are fresh water crustaceans. They thrive in a wide array of habitats, from ponds that might be glorified puddles to lakes and rivers.

Because catching crawfish is a low-tech, low-budget way to find food that requires little more than a trap, a net, or the use of well-season bare hands, in states such as Louisiana the pursuit of them is often a solitary way to while away the time with the promise of something good for dinner.

On March 23, an 82-year-old Destrehan resident decided it was a perfect day to find his perfect crawfish-catching spot in a wooded area not far from the I-10 in LaPlace, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.

Unfortunately, he “had been stranded in a wooded area off I-10 in LaPlace for several hours after he got stuck in waist-deep muddy water while crawfishing,” the post said.

Deputies did not release the name of the man who suffered the indignity and danger of ending up stuck in the Louisiana mud.

He was stuck for so long that after eight hours his family knew something was not right and called the sheriff’s office.

St. John Parish patrol officer Corporal Travis Klibert found the man’s vehicle just before 11:30 p.m.

St. John Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brian Kennedy sent up a drone and found the man to be about two-tenths of a mile from his vehicle.

It took one more member of the sheriff’s office to wrap up the event.

Sergeant Jonathan Walker managed to get a lifejacket to the man then hauled him out with a rope. The man went to a local hospital.

The 82-year-old told deputies that he wanted to cross an area of deep water on foot.

The idea began to pale when he began to sink, but the simple expedient of turning around was impossible because by then he was stuck fast in the mud.

The notion of calling for help was there, but with a cell phone that had become wet in the misadventure, he was on his own.

St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre said he was proud of his men for their work and offered the incident as a cautionary tale for those heading out to hunt, fish or hike,

“Always let someone know where you are going, where you will be and when you will be back,” Tregre said.

“You never know what will happen. It’s good to make sure that other people are aware of your plans and location,” he said.

LaPlace is located about 30 miles west of New Orleans, according to People.

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