Oil Rig Accidentally Drains Lake Peigneur (1980)

Leonce Viator Jr (February 22, 1928 - February 4, 2014)

His niece Cheryl Viator Fleniken writes – “Many of you may remember the day they punched a hole in the lake behind Delcambre back in 1980, I think he was the one that they interviewed on national television as he was an eye witness to the events that day because he was fishing on the lake. He had just bought a new boat; and he and his nephew took it out that day to enjoy a day of fishing. Instead, they narrowly escaped with their lives. He tied the boat up to a tree that was in the lake and they made it to shore, which was at that point what the lake shore was once, because the water was rushing down the hole that was swallowing barges and everything that was on the lake that day. He said he looked back to see the tree and his new boat get swept away and taken down the hole. This was a man that lived to fish and after that day, he never went fishing again!! He was a very kind soul and loved life.“

The devastating mining accident at Lake Peigneur Salt Mine, where a disaster progressed from an innocent task to a major catastrophe and Mr. Viator’s account of what he witnessed as a participant is explained on this film.