Louisiana Man Dies in Boating Incident After Floatation Device Fails to Inflate

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reported on July 11, 2022, that enforcement agents are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred on July 10 in Caddo Parish.

Elvis Edwards, 51, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was recovered deceased from Cross Lake around 6 p.m. on July 10. Earlier, around 5 p.m., agents received word of a missing boater and immediately began searching the area with the Shreveport Fire Department. According to a boating accident survivor, Edwards was operating his personal watercraft (PWC) with a passenger. Edwards made a turn, and he and the passenger were thrown from the PWC into the water.

Both Edwards and the passenger wore personal flotation devices (PFD), but Edwards’ inflatable PFD failed to deploy. He was able to tread water briefly before submerging and not resurfacing.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will lead the investigation into this fatal boating accident. At this time, it is unknown why Edwards’ PFD did not inflate. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office received his body.