HOUMA, La. — The Houma Police Department responded to a call of a man falling into the Intracoastal Waterway just after 2:30 on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, police identified the man as Arnold Bonnette, 71.
According to the Houma Police Department’s Chief of Detectives, Lt Travis Theriot, an unidentified witness told officers at the scene that Bonnette was laying on the cement on the eastern bank of the Intracoastal Waterway. The witness believed he was sleeping.
The witness told police Bonnette struggled to swim when he fell in the water, and appeared to "disappear" underwater. That's when the witness jumped in from the western bank and swam to his location.
The lieutenant says the witness pulled Bonnette out of the water and attempted to perform life-saving efforts, but Bonnette still died from the incident.
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