By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The body of a Pontchatoula man who authorities say tried to escape a prison work release detail by jumping from a work vessel into the Mississippi River was recovered Tuesday evening near the Port of South Louisiana.

Adam Gonzales, 31, an inmate from the Tangipahoa Parish jail serving time on drug charges, was working as a crew member on a pushboat when he jumped into the river to avoid being taken back to jail, said Capt. Dane Clement, public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office. Clement said Gonzales had been arguing with other crewmen around 9 p.m. Saturday prior to the jump from the boat near the Edgard ferry landing.

“The vessel supervisor told responding deputies Gonzales had jumped into the river,” Clement said. “The supervisor said Gonzales had been drinking vodka and was involved in a fight with another crewman on the vessel earlier in the day.”

Clement said the supervisor called Tangipahoa Parish authorities to bring Gonzales back to the prison, but Gonzales jumped before the deputies could get there. He said other crew members overheard Gonzales say he would jump in an attempt to avoid further jail time in connection with the fight.

After jumping in the river, Gonzales went below the surface and was not seen again. Clement said St. John deputies, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, a Port of South Louisiana fire boat and other push boats in the area searched the river and its bank for Gonzales.

Until his body surfaced, authorities were uncertain as to whether Gonzales swam and made it to the bank of the river or if he had succumbed to the powerful river current, Clement said. Gonzales’ body was recovered around 4:30 p.m. by the crew of the port’s fire boat, the Accardo.

Preliminary autopsy results indicated Gonzales’ cause of death was drowning with no indication of foul play, Clement said.