MORGAN CITY, LA (WAFB) -
A boater
who was considered missing for a few hours Thursday night is recovering in the
hospital after being found.
Someone
called the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office around 8:30 p.m. to report Justin
Price, 22, of Morgan City missing after his boat was seen floating on Flat Lake
and he wasn't in it.
The SMPSO
Water Patrol started a search. It was joined by officers with different
agencies in the area and volunteers.
Deputies
said a volunteer located Price in the Flat Lake area around 10 p.m.
He was
taken to Teche Regional Medical Center with hypothermia.
He told
investigators his boat got stuck on a sand bar while he was out hunting, so he decided
to build a fire to try to warm up.
However,
while he was trying to get the fire going, the water rose up and his boat
drifted away.
Deputies
said over two dozen boats were involved in the search.
The St.
Mary Parish Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Assumption Parish Sheriff's
Office and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Volunteer
fire departments from Morgan City, Berwick, Bayou Vista and Amelia also helped.
In
addition, there were individual volunteers involved in the search.
Authorities
said the US Coast Guard was on standby ready to send out a helicopter if
needed.
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