Emile Joseph Bourgeois Sr.
May 25, 2009
Madeline Marie Cadiere Usie
May 29, 2009
A single boat accident claimed the lives of five men late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning in Falgout Canal.
A 24-foot aluminum recreation boat struck and was pinned under the starboard side of an unmanned barge anchored near Falgout Canal Road and La. Highway 315.
The cause of the accident is under investigation by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Those killed have been identified as Michael James Carrere, 43, of Bayou Blue; Carey J. Meche, 52, of Metairie; William Norris Voss, 49, of Katy, Texas; Lawrence Henry Flak, 54, of Conroe, Texas; and Rene Joseph Gauthier, 59, of Houston.
Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois knew Carrere well from all the time and services he donated to sheriff’s office functions.
“He was a good friend to the sheriff’s office,” Bourgeois said. “Every time we had a company lunch or a supper or the sheriff’s office Christmas party he would help out. He did all kinds of things for us.”
Voss was a Houma native and graduated from Terrebonne High School in 1977.
A call came in around 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning about a possible accident. The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol was first on the scene followed by Wildlife and Fisheries.
The boat was half underwater when it was discovered.
Four of the victims were found onboard dead from blunt head trauma, according to Gary Alford, Terrebonne Parish Coroner’s Office lead investigator.
Voss survived the initial crash and was able to climb onto the barge deck before he bled to death, Alford said. All the bodies were recovered around 11:30 a.m.
The victims were in the area to participate in the 16th annual Houma Oilman’s Invitational Fishing Tournament held last weekend.
They had left a crawfish boil at Voss’ family camp in Dulac between 9:30 and 10 p.m. Wednesday night. An exact time for the accident is still unknown.
The 150-foot barge hit by the recreational boat was tied to a smaller barge. Both are used to stabilize the canal bank between Theriot and Dulac. Wildlife and Fisheries authorities are trying to determine if the barges, owned by Antill Pipeline Construction Company Inc. of Houma, were illuminated.
“In the initial stages, investigators are checking the vessel to see which direction it was traveling and measuring the markings to determine the points of impact, and measuring the depth of the canal,” said Lt. Chuck Comeaux, Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement officer. “We’ll do past readings on all corners of the barge and take overhead photos from every direction.”
The bow of the boat was crushed downward. About a half-dozen discarded beer cans littered the boat’s interior.
Onlookers at Falgout Canal Marina in Theriot were awestruck by the sight as the vessel was brought in by investigators to be taken to an undisclosed location for further examination.
Comeaux said it would take weeks for toxicology reports on the victims to be completed. He also indicated it normally takes several months for a report on a single boat accident such as this to be concluded.
With the summer season’s arrival and more boaters taking to the parish waterways, Bourgeois hopes this tragedy will remind residents to heed the necessary safety precautions.
“People need to treat a boat like a car,” he said. “Don’t go over the speed the boat can handle, wear your life jackets and don’t mix alcohol with driving.”
Authorities tow the 24-foot aluminum recreational fishing boat five men were killed in last Wednesday to the Falgout Marina in Theriot. Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement is investigating the accident. Particularly, they are interested in whether the barge struck by the boat was illuminated.
