Lacombe shrimper drowns in Rigolets

A local shrimp fisherman who was trying to untangle his net that had gotten tangled in the propeller drowned in the Rigolets Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Paul Barnard, Search and Rescue coordinator with the Coast Guard, said Michael Guth of Lacombe was found by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Marine Unit about three miles from his boat at 3:45 p.m.

Barnard said the Coast Guard got a call from the Sheriff’s Office at 1:25 p.m. about the accident. Barnard said Guth had stopped his boat near the U.S. Highway 190 bridge at the Rigolets because his net had gotten into the propellor. Guth dived overboard, and the strong current dragged him away from the boat.

The Coast Guard sent out its rescue helicopter and helped the Sheriff’s Office in the search.

The helicopter spotted Guth, and deputies recovered his body.

Barnard said the currents are extremely strong in the Rigolets.

“There are only two bodies of water that drain from Lake Pontchartrain in that area, the Rigolets and Chef Pass, and severe currents pass through there,” Barnard said.