Two Men Drown in Black River

The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of LA. Wildlife & Fisheries and the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office, located the bodies of two Catahoula Parish men Sunday morning, July 4th, after their small fishing boat apparently capsized Saturday night while running trotlines behind the Jonesville Locks and Dam on Black River. According to Sheriff Randy Maxwell, the men were identified as Kevin Posey and Michael Mason, who were said to be in their 30’s. CPSO was notified about 10:40 p.m. Saturday of the incident. All agencies involved searched the waters until nearly 3 a.m., with the search resuming after daylight. The bodies were found at 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. According to Maxwell, the men were not wearing lifejackets. “This is a horrendous tragedy for these families, but one that could have been prevented if they had only been wearing lifejackets,” he stated. Witnesses on the bank indicated that one of the fishermen may have been attempting to save the other when they both went down. Maxwell expressed his appreciation to the Wildlife & Fisheries and Catahoula Sheriff’s Office personnel who joined in the search efforts. “We’re truly grateful for all of their assistance.”