A Louisiana man who was left underwater for almost 10 minutes after allegedly being pushed into a lake by his friends was hospitalized for more than two weeks. He is now officially off life support.
According to WSFA, 26-year-old Christopher Gilbert will be released from the hospital soon after doctors said that him surviving the ordeal is a “miracle.” He has been taken off life support and should be released soon, according to his family. He ended up in a lake after being with friends at a lakefront restaurant. After the incident, he suffered significant brain damage and was placed on life support.
Claudia Payne, an attorney for Gilbert’s family, said that the group of friends told police officers that the 26-year-old had fallen into the lake. But, an investigation revealed that Gilbert was allegedly pushed into the lake by a girl who was with the group. Although this determination was made, no one has been arrested.
According to KSLA, a report from the Farmerville Police Department revealed that a bystander, along with police officers, helped administer CPR to Gilbert before medical personnel arrived on the scene. He was in about 15 feet of water when they pulled him out; the bystander informed the police. He was taken to Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport, where he remains.
“Right now, he’s not out of the red or in the clear, but he has made a lot of progress,” Yolanda George, Gilbert’s mother, said.
Community activist Terrance Winn reiterated the need to seek justice for Gilbert while seeking answers about the actions that happened that day.
“We want the same justice that white people would get. That Black kid deserves it. He didn’t do anything wrong to be pushed into the water. And that’s a sad thing that we in 2024, and we still arguing the politics of race instead of justice,” Winn said.