A Louisiana sheriff says the rocky beach that was the scene of a tragedy involving a family from Ethel is not a popular spot for swimming. 28-year-old Samantha Alexander and her seven- and eight-year-old daughters, apparently drowned. An investigation continues. A nine-year-old boy who was rescued has been released from the hospital.
Cameron Parish Sheriff Ron Johnson says the surf at Long Beach was very rough Sunday with waves crashing against the rocks. He says his investigators have not been able to talk to the boy and they’re not sure how the victims wound up in the water. The family, which also included a 3-year-old boy, was seen together on the beach earlier in the day– but later the younger child was spotted wandering the beach alone.
“We surmise that the three (older) kids may have gone out swimming past the rocks,” Johnson says. “Momma wouldn’t have gone swimming and left the three-year-old. She must have realized they were in trouble and went out to get them.”
The sheriff says Cameron residents favor some of the bigger and safer beaches in the parish and tend to stay away from Long Beach. “There’s not a lot of beach right there. It’s not a good place to go,” Johnson says. “Most of the time when we have drownings down here, it’s not local people. It’s people that are from away from here who maybe don’t understand. I don’t know of any locals who’ve ever drowned here.”
Investigators are awaiting autopsy reports.
