Family of Good Samaritans Help Rescue 8 People From Lake Pontchartrain

Over the weekend a group of New Orleans boaters got a little carried away...and their boat literally did get carried away by the current. What started out as a fun Friday night on the water turned into a rescue mission after they were stranded for hours in Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans after hopping in the water for a quick swim.

A phone call was made around 8 pm on Friday, August 4th, and New Orleans first responders and the U.S. Coast Guard arrived to aid in the rescue mission that was already in full swing.

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When first responders arrived Robert Trelo and his family had already sprung into action after hearing faint screams from the distance. Trelo family had already successfully saved 5 of the 8 people that were stranded in the water. Initially It was hard for them to make out exactly where the distress calls were coming from since it was pitch black.

I Grabbed a flashlight and shined it in the distance and then we saw the life jackets

The New Orleans Fire Department confirmed a total of 8 people required immediate rescue from Lake Pontchartrain around 10 pm two hours after the first call was made. The swimmers treaded water for several hours before they were spotted by Robert Trello and his family.

There were three people on the boat that difted away however they did not know how to operate the vessel which left the swimmers in the water stranded for hours until these good samaritans saved their lives.

Had this family not been in the right place at the right time, this story could have ended very differently. Thankfully, all 8 people were rescued and the United States Coast Guard towed the boat with the 3 individuals to the West End boat launch.