City of Covington Employee Dies While Trying to Save

A City of Covington employee lost his life Wednesday evening after jumping into Bayou Lacombe in an attempt to rescue his granddaughter.

According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred near Lake Road after the young girl fell into the water. Family members identified the victim as Chris Rushing.

Authorities said Rushing entered the bayou to save the child but began struggling in the water and failed to resurface. A woman also entered the water and was able to pull the child to safety.

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Fire personnel responded to the scene around 7:43 p.m., and five swimmers entered the water to search for Rushing. He was eventually recovered from the bayou, and lifesaving measures were immediately initiated before he was transported to a local hospital.

Despite those efforts, Rushing later died at the hospital.

His body has been turned over to the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, where an autopsy is underway.

According to Covington City Councilman John Botsford, Rushing worked in the City of Covington’s Cultural Arts Department.

Covington Mayor Mark Johnson also released a statement following Rushing’s death, saying: “Chris will be remembered for his ever-present smile, the joy that emanated from him and for his innate desire to help others. His passing is very difficult to process.”

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

Editor’s note: The image accompanying this story is AI-generated and is not an actual photo of the scene.