MELVILLE, La. (KLFY) – In America, 11 people die of drowning every day, and this week a Melville family discovered it was the Atchafalaya River that took their loved one’s life.
Floyd Davenport was a loving father, husband, and grandparent. He was also an avid outdoorsman. On the banks of the Atchafalaya River, Loubertha Davenport spoke to News 10 near the last place her late husband was seen alive, doing what he enjoyed, fishing.
“I was like no something is wrong, so I called the police,” Loubertha recalled. “He (police) kept telling me the possibility that he could have drowned, and I said there is no way. He knows the water he’s smarter than that.”
Officials from Melville Police, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries searched for Floyd Davenport. Loubertha and her family searched for her husband day and night for 17 days. She said it Melville resident who confirmed her worst fear.
“I had hope until I saw his body,” Loubertha admitted to News 10. “I’m deadly afraid of water.”
Louisiana has the highest rate of drowning deaths in the entire continental U.S. according to the Center for Disease Control, and a study last year showed our most Googled phobia in 2021 was “fear of water”.
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Louisiana Department of Health Region 4 Medical Director Dr. Tina Stefanski warned, “Drowning can happen in an instant.”
Children 1-4 have the highest drowning rates, but drowning is still in the top three causes of unintentional death in Louisiana up to age 44, and it kills dozens older than that in our state each year. Men account for 80% of Louisiana’s drowning deaths.
“That might be because they are more likely to engage in some of these activities that involve or center around bodies of water,” Dr. Stefaanski explained. “And in Louisiana, we have so many recreational activities centered around natural bodies of water. That is the most common location among older individuals.”
When fishing, boating, or swimming the Louisiana Department of Health recommends using the buddy system and wearing a life jacket that can protect you in the case of a head injury. Doctors also say it’s never too late to learn to swim.
“That will save your life,” Stefanski encouraged.
Floyd Davenport was 64 with family all the way down to great-grandchildren, and his life was precious to those around you.
“I never would have dreamed of losing him and definitely not in this fashion. It’s hard. It’s hard,” Loubertha concluded.
More information on drowning deaths and how to prevent them can be found at the CDC.