On the recordAugust 5, 2010
I wish to discuss a heart wrenching tragedy that occurred in my home State earlier this week and to acknowledge the heroic efforts of our local first responders. On Monday evening, under sweltering temperatures that had surpassed 100 degrees, two Shreveport families gathered on the banks of the Red River, in Shreveport, LA, to enjoy a picnic. What is normally a routine summer outing for millions of people across America quickly turned into a disaster. Seven teenage children from these two families had wandered off into an unfamiliar part of the river. One of the children stepped off of a sand bar and into deeper, more dangerous water and began to scream for help. The other six children followed in an attempt to rescue the drowning teen. None of the seven children knew how to swim, nor did the adults who were with them. As the seven children struggled for their lives against the treacherous waters of the Red River, witnesses called 911 for help. Teams of first responders from Shreveport and Bossier City were dispatched and arrived on the scene at 6:30 p.m., roughly 10 minutes after the 911 call was made. Dive teams entered the water four at a time in search of the drowning children. Despite the tremendous efforts of the divers, the river's waters claimed the lives of six of the seven children. The lone survivor was rescued by a bystander named Christopher Partlan, before the dive teams could get to the area.
