A tragic drowning on June 1st in Bossier Parish that claimed the life of a 15-year-old highlights the need for more safety measures on state-operated waterways. Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said Hayden Mangum of Elm Grove might still be alive if safety barriers had been installed at the spillway on Lake Bistineau.
“The spillway is not marked. We’ve had problems there before. Wildlife and Fisheries ought to pass a rule that every unprotected spillway on a state lake in Louisiana has to be protected,” said Campbell.
Hayden Lane Mangum drown while fishing with a friend when the boat they were in capsized at the Lake Bistineau spillway.
Campbell said currents along impoundments that retain water on manmade lakes can be swift and unpredictable and safety barriers are already installed at Red River and Toledo Bend.
“And the way they do that is with ropes they put a big rope around it and have floatation devices attached to the rope and people know they can’t go in there it’s a dangerous area. That ought to happen at every spillway in Louisiana,” said Campbell.
To address the issue, Campbell sent a letter Friday to the Secretary of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries to have the safety barriers installed at spillways on all state-operated waterways.
“I don’t know why it hasn’t happened in the past but it’s negligence, needless drownings like that can be stopped. So, I wrote Secretary and told him that this needs to be done and hopefully I’ll hear from him,” said Campbell.
Campbell said he expects that the cost would be minimal to install the safety barriers.
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