INDEPENDENCE – A Hammond man accidently drowned Thursday when he fell out of his boat and into the pond that he was fishing, according to Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Dawn Panepinto.
Around 1:30 pm., police were called to a pond off of Velma Road in Independence after receiving reports that a man had fallen out of a boat, according to Panepinto. Police and the Amite Fire Department began searching for the man, but were unable to find him.
He was identified later as 47-year-old Lucius Drake of Hammond, according to Panepinto. Witnesses saw Drake fall from the boat, after his boat capsized. He was last seen by witnesses swimming to the shore, but he went under, according to police, about 50 feet from the shore.
“At approximately 2:10 PM, members of the Amite Fire Department located the body of Lucius Drake. It was observed that Drake’s hands were tangled up in fishing wire making it almost impossible for him to swim,” said Panepinto in a statement.
Drake’s body was taken to the coroner’s office after being discovered by authorities.
