‘A deeply kind individual’: College professor dies after boat strikes bridge

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - The body of a missing boater recovered from Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana has been identified as a local college professor.

The St. Tammany Parish Coroner identified the body of a missing boater as 58-year-old Philippe Lannelongue, of Kenner.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement says agents responded to the single-boat crash in Lake Pontchartrain at about 3 a.m. on Aug. 31.

A female passenger on the sailboat told authorities she and Lannelongue struck a bridge, throwing him overboard. She immediately called 911, and the U.S. Coast Guard rescued her.

Agents recovered Lannelongue’s body around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 3, near Manchac.

An official cause of death was not immediately released.

According to the University of Holy Cross website, Lannelongue worked in the Department of Business. He also worked at Loyola University New Orleans and the University of New Orleans as an adjunct professor.

At UNO, he worked in the Department of Management and Marketing.

“Philippe was more than a colleague—he was a true professional and a deeply kind individual,” said Dong-Jun Min, chair of the Department of Management and Marketing at UNO. “He brought a rare combination of academic rigor and practical experience to our program, and he always made time for students, encouraging them not just to learn, but to grow. He had a quiet warmth, a steady presence, and a genuine passion for teaching that made a lasting impression on everyone around him. His loss is not only a professional one but a deeply personal one for many of us in the department. We will miss him greatly.”

LDWF’s Enforcement Division is leading an investigation into the crash. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard also assisted in the search.