Lake Charles –
Around 3:00 p.m. today the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Division was dispatched to Dunn Ferry Rd. at the West Fork bridge in Moss Bluff in reference to a possible drowning. Once they arrived, they were able to recover Wardell Baptiste, 16, New Orleans, from the water and he was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. He was visiting family members in this area during spring break.
The investigation revealed a group of teens were jumping off the bridge but when Baptiste jumped off, he surfaced but went under the water again and did not resurface.
The medical personnel at the hospital pronounced Baptiste deceased at approximately 4:30 p.m.
CPSO Deputy Kimberly Curran is the lead investigator.
CPSO Sr. Sgt. Ryan Mareno, along with the CPSO Dive Team, recovered Baptiste from the water.