LAFITTE, La. (WGNO) — A late legendary local angler and conservationist is being honored for his environmental efforts.
An inshore artificial reef in Lafitte will be named after Captain Theophile Bourgeois, called “Theophile Reef.” The Jefferson Parish native died in 2019 in a seaplane crash in St. Bernard Parish.
In August 2019, the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received an alert just before 3:00 p.m. that Bourgeois Fishing Charters lost communication with the seaplane carrying three passengers, one of which was Theophile.
An aircrew responded to their last known location in Chandeleur Sound, where they rescued two people from the water. Theophile reportedly died after arriving at University Hospital. The other passengers survived.
The Coastal Conservation Association, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Shell are now doing construction on 1400 tons of Limestone in Hackberry Bay. This will be the new home to oysters and fish, whose natural habitats are degrading.
The dedication ceremony for Bourgeois will happen on Tuesday, June 13 at Bourgeois Charters.
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