Man drowns when boat carried over Pearl River control structure

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents are investigating a single vessel incident that claimed the life of a Picayune, Miss. man on July 5 in St. Tammany Parish.
LDWF agents were notified of a boating incident and a missing boater on the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish around 5 p.m. on July 5. LDWF and St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Deputies began searching that evening, before calling off the search at dusk.
The following day, July 6, agents and sheriff’s deputies continued the search.
Agents were able to retrieve the deceased body of James. R Mann, 45, of Picayune, MS the morning of July 7 and turned him over to the St. Tammany Parish Corner’s Office.
According to surviving passenger, Terry L. Jenkins, 49 of Walkiah, Miss. the vessel was just up river of the Walkiah Bluff water control structure. The men launched their boat off the bank before starting the engine. As the vessel was adrift, it was caught in a swift current which carried the vessel over the water control structure.
Mann was ejected from the vessel and Jenkins jumped out of the vessel in an effort to save Mann. Jenkins was not able to locate Mann. Jenkins then self rescued and called for help. Neither man was wearing a personal floatation device.