VACHERIE – A man was saved from drowning by an off duty Port Allen officer and two good Samaritans after his car became submerged in a bayou in St. James Parish.

On Wednesday around 6 p.m., Troopers responded to a crash on LA 20 in St. James Parish after a vehicle crashed and became submerged near the Bayou Chevreuil Bridge.

Aaron Jackson, 30, was driving east on LA 20 when his Chevrolet Trailblazer ran off the road and entered the bayou. An off duty officer, Robert Cannon of Port Allen Police Department, saw the crash and helped Jackson. Two nearby fishermen, Gabriel Rouge and Kevin Scioneaux, also went to help Jackson.

Officer Cannon was able to remove Jackson from his vehicle while Rouge and Scioneaux provided a life jacket and kayak to float Jackson to safety. Jackson suffered minor injuries as a result and was transported to the hospital.