A South Louisiana boater is fortunate to be alive following a harrowing five hours in the chilly waters of White Lake yesterday. Officers with the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Department say they received a call of an unoccupied boat on White Lake shortly after 1 PM Tuesday (Dec 18) afternoon.

Rescue units and air surveillance descended on the boat's location within minutes and the lone passenger from that boat was located. Deputies say the as of now unidentified man told them his boat hit a submerged log and he was tossed from the vessel. Based on information provided by the victim deputies speculate he was in the water for nearly five hours.

Rescue crews were able to locate the man shortly after arriving on the scene. He was found nearly a mile from where his boat was located. Authorities say he was clinging to a floatation device. That device most likely saved his life. 

As of now, the identity of the boater has not been released. At last report, he was being treated in a local hospital.

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