Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is investigating a fatal boating incident that claimed the life of a 71-year-old Lake Charles resident in Jefferson Davis Parish on June 8, 2025.

According to LDWF officials, Danny Harrison of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was operating a 16-foot vessel equipped with a 40-horsepower hand tiller outboard motor when the boat struck an object in the water. The impact ejected Harrison from the vessel, after which the unmanned boat began running in circles and subsequently struck him while he was in the water.

LDWF Enforcement Division agents responded to the scene after receiving a call around 8:30 p.m. about a boater who had been fatally struck by an engine prop while in the water. Harrison's body was later transferred to the Jefferson Davis Parish Coroner's Office.

Investigators noted that while Harrison was wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) at the time of the incident, preliminary evidence suggests he was not wearing a kill switch lanyard. Louisiana boating regulations require operators of vessels less than 26 feet with hand tiller outboard motors over 10 horsepower to use an engine cut-off switch while the motor is running and the vessel is underway.

According to LDWF statistics, Louisiana reported 96 boating fatalities between 2020 and 2024, with five fatalities already recorded in 2025 prior to this incident. The agency offers free boating safety classes statewide, which are mandatory for anyone born after January 1, 1984, who operates a vessel over 10 horsepower.

The LDWF Enforcement Division continues to lead the investigation into this fatal boating incident.