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EVANGELINE PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) — A Louisiana man was found in the waters of Chicot Lake at approximately 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 7.

71-year-old Daniel R. Reed had gone missing the night before around 8:30 p.m.

That is when the call came in about a missing boater to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

The initial search for the missing boater concluded around 3 a.m.

These organizations assisted with the search for Daniel Reed:

  • LDWF agents
  • Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office
  • Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office
  • Evangeline Parish Firemen
  • Chicot State Park Rangers

The search started up again at dawn and a boat was located in a cove.

That boat belonged to Daniel Reed and the body of the missing boater “was found shortly thereafter in close proximity to the vessel.”

Investigators are still working to determine why Reed fell off the boat.

The missing boater was found without a personal flotation device. 

The Evangeline Parish Coroner’s Office is tasked with figuring out what killed Daniel Reed.