December 27, 2011
By Joshua Auzenne, WAFB.com
ST. MARTIN PARISH, LA
Authorities said a father and son who were duck hunting when
their boat capsized are safe after being rescued Tuesday morning.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported Russ
Tircuit, 58, and Michael Tircuit, 25, both of Addis, were pulled
from the water around 8:35 a.m.
Agents said the pair was duck hunting on Duck Lake in St. Martin
Parish and hopped into the boat to get a duck that was floating
away.
They added when the 16-foot aluminum boat hit something and
overturned, the father and son were thrown into the water.
Officials said Michael Tircuit called 911 from his cell phone
around 8 a.m. to report the accident.
He was able to tell dispatchers where they were and that they
were clinging to the bow of the boat.
The Tircuits were taken to Franklin Foundation Hospital for
treatment for hypothermia.
Russ Tircuit was wearing a kill switch, which cut off the motor
when he and his son were tossed into the water. Officials said that
may have saved their lives.
"If the father was not wearing a kill switch, then this incident
could have been a tragedy," said Col. Winton Vidrine with LDWF. "We
have seen boating incidents similar to this one that turned fatal
because the operator was not wearing a kill switch and the runaway
boat hit ejected people in the water."
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office and US Coast Guard assisted
in the rescue.
The boating accident is still being investigated.
