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Ascension first responders
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ASCENSION PARISH - Ascension Parish officials honored several local deputies and firefighters who acted quickly in attempting to rescue several people from a submerged truck during the early morning hours of January 27.
*Click here to view WBRZ's original article on the incident*
Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment joined Sheriff Bobby Webre and Fire Chief James LeBlanc in recognizing the first responders during a Thursday (Feb. 4) news conference on the front steps of the Ascension Parish Governmental Complex in Gonzales.
During the conference, officials described the efforts of five local heroes, some of them serving as volunteers, in immediately responding to a life-threatening situation. Those honored included Deputy Karly Gutierrez, Deputy Daniel Haydel, Deputy Jamie Wolfe, and Sorrento Firemen Jeff Kelly and Shane Wellman.
"I didn't know anybody was alive when I jumped in. I was just hoping, and when I heard the noise coming from children I knew I had to work fast and do everything it takes to get them out," said Deputy Daniel Haydel. "When you're thinking about another human, you do the human thing and you don't think twice about it."
State police are still looking into the cause of the crash. Following the accident, a four-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
The mother and second child are expected to make a full recovery.
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