Obituaries:  Eldridge Ray Henry, Jr., Sabine Parish       H-560
Source:  Sabine Index, Many, La., Apr 18, 1974
Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck
              carlrad@earthlink.net


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Eldridge Ray Henry, Jr.

  A seven year old boy was drowned Friday morning, when his
grandparents' car, in which he was riding, was swept from U. S.
Hwy. 171, by Toro Creek, which was out of bounds, due to
torrential rains during Thursday night.

  The accident happened about 6:20 a.m. It occurred between
Florien and Hodges Gardens.

  The youth was identified by Sheriff George R. Cook as Eldridge
Ray Henry Jr., 7. He was riding with his grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Julius Henry of Sulphur. They were on their way to
Shreveport to visit relatives.

  Robert Radford of Keithville, a driver for Complete Auto
Transit, was standing on the north end of the flooded area, and
was a witness to the accident.

  He told the INDEX two large loaded trucks had started across the
swelled creek, which was barricaded by the State Department of
Highways, and were traveling north. He said the Henry's 1967
Mercury was a little behind them.

  "Evidently he (Henry) dropped back, and the water swept him off
the highway," Radford relates. "The car turned around and sat
crossways, with the back wheels on the shoulder. It sat there a
minute, the car then moved backwards with it's headlights still
on, and went out of sight. With the light of the cars shining
behind us. I thought I saw a human standing beside the car before
it disappeared.

  Radford continued, "About an hour later, we heard a man holler.
We knew there was someone still with the car. A big diesel loaded
with shavings went into the area, and another man and I went with
it. The boat came in from the other end. Two men got out of the
truck, held to a rope, and went to the car."

  "By the time the boat was there," he recalled, "We got both of
them, and took them to the diesel."

  "The man and woman were both elderly," Radford stated. "The man
told us he was able to pull his wife from the car, but could not
get his grandson. He gave his wife mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
to revive her."

  The two men in the boat were identified as Dean Brown and Hubert
Seamons of Hornbeck, and the large truck was driven by Dennis
Wright of Many.

  Mrs. Henry was given first aid at the nearby Peterson house, and
taken by ambulance to Leesville General Hospital, where she
remained in serious condition earlier this week, with a
dislocated shoulder, water in her lungs, and shock.

  The body of the youth was recovered from the creek about 9 a.m.,
Friday, by the direction of Sheriff Cook. Making the recovery
were Deputy Travis Bennett, Doyle Henry, and Johnny Joe Isgitt.

  The child's body was taken to Warren Meadows Funeral Home.