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Sheriff ramps up search and rescue efforts with new boats
One donated, other bought
through grant
Two, large power boats have been added to
the sheriff's arsenal to increase the parish's search and rescue capacity.
"We want to be on the water as well as the highway," said St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz.
Guidroz said the parish, home to numerous bayous, is still largely rural, and search and rescue operations are not uncommon."The Indian Bayou Hunting Club alone is 18,000 acres of woodland and swampland. Having this capacity just makes sense," Guidroz said.
"Most people don't realize that we have 25 miles of Atchafalaya River that we are responsible for. We have a port in Krotz Springs," Guidroz said.
The rescue boats will be on display to the public for the first time at two events in Port Barre this weekend. The first will be Saturday during the Port Barre "Take a Kid Fishing Rodeo."
"There will be two teams, one on Three Mile Lake and the other on Bayou Courtableau. We will have a boat on each, ready to assist if needed," Guidroz said.
The next will be Sunday during the annual Pirogue and Canoe races.
Guidroz said the parish has had search and rescue boats for years, but they are smaller with less power. The Atchafalaya River, with one of the strongest currents of any river in the country, has meant there were numerous situations where outside help had to be called in.
One of the new boats is a 24-foot Sea Pro Bay Boat, which was purchased with a $36,000 Homeland Security grant.
"This boat is powered by a 250-horsepower engine and can perform search and rescue operations in the Atchafalaya River as well as in shallow water," Guidroz said.
He gave special praise to parish government and to Lisa Vidrine, executive director of the St. Landry Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, for help with this grant.
The second boat is a gift from local businessman Bobby Dupre.
"We are so grateful to Mr. Dupre for donating a Yamaha 21-foot center console boat built by the Logic Company along with a galvanized dual wheel trailer," Guidroz said.
Dupre said the idea for the donation came about one night while he and some friends were sitting around a campfire with Guidroz.
"He said he'd like to create a search and rescue unit. I said; 'Well, I'll donate the first boat.' I wasn't using it enough to justify it," Dupre said.
Dupre said, as a hunter and fisherman himself, he has seen far too many people lost.
"I've seen that since I was a young boy. When that happens the whole community is upset, especially the family. If I can help, then I want to do it," Dupre said.
Guidroz said the boat, powered by a 200-horsepower engine, is like new. "It's in wonderful shape. It is less than two years old," Guidroz said.
He said his department already has one deputy who is a certified diver and three technicians have been assigned to the search and rescue team.
"In the event the boats are needed for water emergencies, we are completely prepared to respond," Guidroz said.
In addition to providing safety patrols and rescue operations, the sheriff said they will be used to teach boating safety classes throughout the year.
Guidroz said the boats are a wonderful compliment to existing land-based rescue equipment already in place.
"We have four ATVs. Kawasaki is going to donate a four-wheel rough terrain vehicle," Guidroz said. "Time and time again a hunter or child has become lost. We want to be able to respond quickly."
The search and rescue unit will soon receive one more important addition. Angola State Prison has donated a bloodhound to the sheriff's office.
"It is being trained right now. It will give us the capacity to track missing hunters or children, even track fleeing fugitives," Guidroz said.