LDWF: Pontoon boat ran over group of three kids in False River over weekend that hospitalized 14-year-old
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JARREAU — A 25-foot pontoon boat ran over and injured a group of three kids on False River over the weekend, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Tuesday morning.
According to officials, the boating incident happened Saturday afternoon when a boat was towing three children in a tube when they fell off the tube and were floating in the water waiting for their boat to loop back around to pick them up when the pontoon boat ran them over.
A 14-year-old had to be airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge for treatment of lacerations to his lower legs and feet and is expected to make a full recovery. The other children sustained a concussion and minor injuries, respectively.
Alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in the pontoon operator's actions, LDWF said.
The pontoon operator told LDWF that he lost steering of the pontoon boat and tried to avoid the kids in the water. LDWF said it seized the pontoon boat and is conducting an investigation into the incident.