Woman Says Pineville [Louisiana] Man, 59, Sacrificed His Life for Hers

Alexandria, LA, Daily Town Talk | 05-27-06 | Sutherland, Eugene

[Theodore R.]

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/NEWS01/605270305/1002

[Theodore R.]

You must go directly to the story, as the Town Talk is a Gannett publication.

This is another tragedy about Good Samaritans dying to help others.

[Theodore R.]

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/NEWS01/605270305/1002

[mtbopfuyn]

That's one weird story. If she was that afraid of the water, what was she doing out in a boat? Then she went nuts and struggled with him and was still nuts what must have been hours later when the police questioned her? Call me cynical, but something here is fishy.

[Tired of Taxes]

That's a very sad story. May he rest in peace.

(I hate to have to say it, but if she feared the water, why did she go fishing without wearing a floatation device?)

[Theodore R.]

You're right: something is very odd here.

[JCEccles]

Her story is an odd story on many levels. I can't quite explain it, but if it were a building it would be about 6.7 degrees out of plumb.

[Ninian Dryhope]

It does not pay to screw up.

It also sounds like watching TV is dangerous.

[joebuck]

"What she does remember is her friend swimming a distance from the boat area to retrieve a flotation device. Moments later, he was grabbing her legs and pushing her up to the surface, putting the device on her and getting her closer to land. "He said, 'Hold on! Hold on!,'" Dauzat said. '"Swim toward the bank!' I looked up and saw branches. He said his feet weren't touching the bottom (of the bank) yet. He said 'No, I can't go on.' He just slipped under the water. "

This is what doesn't add up to me. If he got a floatation device then he should have had no problem getting them both to shore. A modern flotation devise could keep two persons afloat with one person kicking to propel them to shore. This would take little effort at all to the person doing the kicking (the man). Why would he let go, and then just go under unless he had a heart attack or something.

[MacDorcha]

Well... she did change her story.

And she did go out into water despite hydrophobia...

And he doesn't ask off work. It seems like it was uncharacteristic of him to have been doing what he was doing.

They had at least one floation device. I suspect enough for both given being former Navy.

He also made it far enough to drop her ashore (and apparently touch the bottom) Being only 50, I doubt it was a heart attack... though that is possible.

I hate to say it about such a story, but I sense foul play.

[Hildy]

I'm usually a pretty trusting person, but my reaction was just like yours...too much of this story just doesn't make sense...including the fact that he took off work. I don't know...