Incident occurred on Pearl River Navigational Canal, LDWF says
Five people were awarded Meritorious Service Awards by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for their roles in saving three children in the aftermath of a boating accident last March on the Pearl River Navigational Canal.
LDWF honored Paul L. Page, 17, of Bogalusa, Diane Leach, 34, and Timothy Rodosta, 42, both of Covington, Chad Thompson and A. J. Holmes for their efforts on March 28 in St. Tammany Parish.
“We are here today to recognize five individuals for their actions that resulted in saving the lives of three young children,” Lt. Col. Sammy Martin, boating law administrator, said. “All five individuals involved exhibited leadership, good judgment and discipline.
“All five people should be recognized for their heroic actions during a tragic event.”
The mother of the three children, Jonie Morgan, 31, of Folsom, and her boyfriend, Terry O’Keefe Jr., 41, also of Folsom, died in the accident.
Morgan and O’Keefe, accompanied by 6- and 8-year-old boys and a 5-year-old girl, had pushed off from the bank of the Pearl River Canal upriver of a low-head dam in a 14-foot boat shortly after 5 p.m. The boat didn’t start, and the vessel drifted to the sill and capsized, according to LDWF.
All three children were wearing personal flotation devices.
Page came upon the accident and saw all three children plus Morgan in the water, but his boat also capsized as he attempted a rescue. But he grabbed the two boys while Morgan held on to her daughter, the release states.
Page, who also was wearing a PFD, spotted a boat with Leach and Rodosta and waved them over to the accident site, but when he looked back Morgan and her daughter were gone. Page and the two boys were picked up by Leach and Rodosta and brought to shore.
When LDWF agents arrived and were interviewing witnesses, the 5-year-old girl floated out from under the capsized boat. She was rescued by Thompson and Holmes, who were in a boat downstream of the accident site.
Search and rescue crews found the body of O’Keefe on March 29 and Morgan on April 1. Both adults were not wearing PFDs, the release states.
