Copyright 2005 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
New Orleans Times-Picayune
The East St. Charles Volunteer Fire Department recently honored three people who tried to rescue a woman whose car plunged into the Borrow Pit Canal along Airline Drive in Destrehan on Aug. 11.
Mike Ohlendt, an employee of Shell Oil, and Laurie Songy and Jody Fahrig, both St. Charles Parish sheriff’s deputies, dove into the canal to try to save the car’s driver, Renae Toney Scott of LaPlace. Scott died at the scene.
“They were each driving on Airline, saw the car to go into the canal and reacted as we all would like to think we would,” said Jim Chimento, the fire department’s training coordinator.
The three were scheduled to be given plaques just before Hurricane Katrina struck, but the ceremony was delayed until November because of the storm.
About 30 firefighters participated in the recovery of the 2002 Grand Am, which police said went into the canal after Scott lost control of the vehicle.
Mike Ohlendt, a Shell employee, second from left; Laurie Songy and Jody Fahrig, St. Charles Parish sheriff’s deputies, were honored recently by East St. Charles Volunteer Fire Department Captain Jim Chimento, left, and Chief Alan Holder, right, for trying to rescue a woman whose car plunged into a canal in Destrehan.