In a tragic incident last month, an aspiring medical student, Christopher Gilbert, was pushed into a lake in Louisiana by his friends, despite knowing he couldn’t swim. Shocking video footage captured the moment when Gilbert was shoved off the dock at Lake D’Arbonne in Farmerville on April 14.
The disturbing video shows the group of friends casually looking into the water after pushing Gilbert, with at least one person making a feeble attempt to enter the water before giving up on the rescue. It wasn’t until 10 minutes later that a patron from a nearby restaurant intervened and pulled Gilbert back to safety, just in time.
By the time Gilbert reached the hospital, he was brain dead and experiencing organ failure. Despite being submerged underwater for nearly five minutes, he was fortunately rescued in the nick of time.
His mother, Yolanda George, described her devastation upon hearing the news, especially considering Gilbert’s aspirations to become a medical doctor. With a master’s degree in biological science and preparations for medical school, Gilbert’s dreams were abruptly shattered by the callous actions of his friends.
Initially, the friends tried to dismiss the incident as “horse-play,” but eventually, one of them confessed to pushing Gilbert into the lake. However, none of them admitted to knowing about Gilbert’s inability to swim, which Gilbert’s family finds hard to believe.
Adding to the anguish, none of the friends attempted to rescue Gilbert after pushing him. Instead, it was two bystanders who heard the commotion and retrieved his body from the lake.
Despite the grim prognosis, Gilbert has shown some signs of improvement. While he is responsive cognitively, he is unable to speak and remains reliant on life support. His lung capacity is currently at 20%.
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for justice, with Gilbert’s family seeking legal recourse for the senseless act that has altered their lives forever.