ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Berns and St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 Fire Prevention Officer Donald Blondeau are brothers, outdoorsmen, and both in the business of saving lives.
“That’s why we do the job that we do, we enjoy helping people and want to make a difference in our community,” St. Tammany Fire Protection District#1 Fire Prevention Officer Dave Berns said.
When Blondeau got a call about a man stranded in Lake Pontchartrain on Saturday, he knew exactly who he could count on.
“I knew our Marine Division was a little ways away, and I knew we had to take action fast,” St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Deputy Donald Blondeau said.
It was Dave’s weekend off, but a first responder is never really off duty.
“He called and asked if I wanted to save someone, and I said let’s go on a boat ride,” Berns said.
So they were off, surrounded by thunder and lightning, racing the clock, because, for swimmers in distress, the brothers say a rescue mission can become a recovery mission, quickly.
When they reached him, the man was exhausted and struggling to keep his head above water.
“The only thing keeping him afloat was because the paddle board was tethered to his ankle. He would fall off and sink straight to the bottom and pop back up,” Blondeau said.
A while later, they brought him back to safety with his family on Northshore Beach. I asked Dave and Donald if they considered themselves heroes. They said no, saving lives just runs in the family.
“When I get to work with my actual brother, not just my brothers in blue, it’s a little more special,” Berns said.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
