3 stranded boaters rescued from Mississippi Delta lake on Black Friday

Written on 12/01/2025
Caleb Salers

Three men were rescued from a boat that had become stuck in a Mississippi lake on Black Friday.

Officials with the Bolivar County Emergency Operations Center confirmed that a team was dispatched to DeSoto Lake after receiving a report that a boat had been stuck in the mud, stranding a trio of unidentified men. Upon arrival at the scene, a multi-agency crew was unable to reach the boat due to the depth of the water.

A total of four boats then voyaged the lake in pursuit of the stranded men. Crews included emergency rescue personnel along with Coahoma County firefighters.

“Due to extremely limited visibility, it took [approximately] an hour to find the stranded boaters,” a statement from the Bolivar County Emergency Operations Center reads. “Also, due to the limited depth of the water, the BCEOC boats could only get to within [approximately] 300 yards of the stranded boat.”

DeSoto Lake
A trio of boaters was stranded along DeSoto Lake on Black Friday of 2025. (Photo from the Bolivar County Emergency Operations Center)

After another hour and a half had passed, the crew was successful in getting a line to the stranded boat and was able to pull it to deeper waters. The boat and its passengers were then towed back to shore.

“Our heartfelt thanks to Coahoma FD, Sheriff’s Department, and private mud boat in taking in this extremely dangerous task of retrieving those that were stranded,” the statement continued. “Thankfully, no loss of life was encountered. However, some very cold persons came back and loaded up their equipment for the next call. IT’S WHAT WE DO!”