Jeff David Lapeyrouse

Jeff David Lapeyrouse helped to rescue Osman Y. Cardona Suazo, Brayan L. Cardona Martinez, Kelin E. Martinez Mejia, and Kathrine A. Martinez Mejia from drowning, Gibson, Louisiana, December 7, 2022. Martinez Mejia, 30, Kathrine, 17, Osman, 1, and Brayan, 4, all remained inside a sedan that had left the roadway, continued down an embankment and entered a marshy canal, coming to rest about 15 feet from the bank where it began to submerge in murky water at least 7 feet deep. Lapeyrouse, 42, electrical project engineer, was driving on the roadway and witnessed the accident. He responded to the bank, where he saw Martinez Mejia banging on a window. Concluding she could not open the door, Lapeyrouse initially searched, unsuccessfully, for something to break out the glass. Another motorist responded about then, entered the canal and reached the vehicle, forcing open a rear door. Lapeyrouse descended the bank, entered the canal and swam out to the vehicle. By then, the front passenger compartment was submerged, and Martinez Mejia had moved to the rear passenger compartment. She had removed both boys from their car seats, and handed them both to the man, who in turn handed them off to Lapeyrouse. Holding Osman by his shirt and Brayan by an arm, Lapeyrouse swam the boys to shallow water and aided them to the top of the bank. Lapeyrouse re-entered the water and again swam out to the car, which by then was submerged to the rear doors as water filled the interior. The man, holding Martinez Mejia above the water, handed her to Lapeyrouse; he swam behind her as he held her back to push her toward shallow water, then aided her up the bank to safety. Lapeyrouse re-entered the canal and reached the car, which by then was submerged except for the trunk. The man was holding Kathrine above the water just outside the vehicle. Lapeyrouse and the man together towed Kathrine to shallow water, each holding onto one side of her. Upon reaching the bank, they aided her up to the top of it to safety. Martinez Mejia was sore from injuries sustained in the accident. She recovered. Lapeyrouse was not injured.