Patriot defender missing!

[Brando19]

WWL Radio in New Orleans reports that Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill is missing after a Sunday night jet ski accident.

Per WWL, a man and woman fell off a jet ski last night near the Seabrook Bridge. "A good Samaritan on the bank heard yells for help," said Coast Guard Petty Office Thomas Atkinson. "They found a woman clinging onto a piling near the shore."

Boaters thereafter spotted the man, but lost sight of him as they maneuvered to get in position to retrieve him. Further efforts to find him on Sunday night were unsuccessful. Neither Hill nor the woman had been wearing life jackets.

The story posted on WWL's web site currently does not mentioned Hill by name, but a scroll at the top of the page identifies him as the missing man.

Hill grew up in New Orleans, and played at Louisiana State. He was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2004 draft. He has appeared in 13 regular-season games during this three-year career.

[Tarlam!]

According to reports that I have read, death by drowning leads the victim to feel elation immediately before the main event. If the guy is no more, I hope those reports are true.

[Rastak]

This is a major bummer. I remmber when the excellent running back Joe Delaney drown while trying to save a kid. What a bum deal.

[Scott Campbell]

According to reports that I have read, death by drowning leads the victim to feel elation immediately before the main event.


Mabye he was thinking "boy, was Mom ever right about wearing my lifejacket".

This kind of tradgedy is completely avoidable. What a waste.

[RashanGary]

Elation before death is true by my accounts. We were in highschool and we were all out on a boat with NO life jackets and drinking at a cabin way, way, way, out in the north woods of the UP.

It was early November but we were young and incredibly dumb. I'm embarassed to say this, but we had a small kid with us *8 years old, brother of one of our friends*. I have my own kids now, 2 of them (1.5 yeard and 4 years). I would NEVER put my kids or anyones kids in harm like that again but at the time, I had no common sense. My family is a little bit lacking and I was raised a fool. I grew out of it and make good decisions now, but I was a true idiot untill about age 20 (even more idiotic than the normal 20 year old). Anyway, it was just a bad, bad situation and I just have to preface it before I go on because it was so stupid.


We were in a boat, in late October or early November. The water was ICE cold. I stripped down and jumped in. Immediately the cold water stunned me and I jumped back in the boat. Soon, 2 other kids jumped in and with the cold water causing desperation, the both tried to get in the boat at the same time and pulled the side over untill water started rushing in.

2 of the 4 of us (teenage boys) immediately swam to shore. The 8 year old jumped over and one of my friends, Brad, started trying to keep him afloat. Jesse, the boy, was pretty much drowning Brad. I've alwyas been a great swimmer from growing up swimming in a creek that ran through my back yard (grew up on an old farm). Anyway, I didn't feel panic immediately like everyone else, they were all screaming. I swam over to Brad and Jesse and Jesse immediatly clamped on to me. I stripped of all of his clothes and shoes and I had already had mine back on so I stripped mine off too. He was drowning me and doing a damn good job of it. Brad disappeared and there I was. Jesse was saying "swim to shore, just swim to shore OK" Eventually, I was underwater and I had no sense of up or down. Jesse was clamping on to me and at the last moment, I just felt trapped and spent. It wasn't bad, it was survival for the most part but at the last minute it just felt OK to die. I pushed Jesse away and that was it for me. The next thing I remember, I had Jesse and I was pulling him to the newly boyant boat (it went down and came back up because it had these built in air pockets) Brad saw me go under and when teh boat came back up he screamed at me to get Jesse to the boat. Unconcious to that point, I htink Brad's desperate orders were what drove me. I had jesse by the arm and I was holding him underwater while I swam. I couldn't keep him up. Every 10 seconds or so I lifted him up and told him to breath. He'd take a breath and then I'd put him back under and swim. I gave Jesse to Brad and then I swam the boat back to shore.

After that, everyone sat around the fire crying and hugging (in our skivvy's). Brad puked up water a couple times and I sat for 1/2 hour puking up water steady. I don't know how we made it out of there alive. Anyway, I've never really heard that drowning was supposed to be euphoric or acceptable at the last second, but that is exactly what it was. I've told that to people before. I said, it wasn't that bad, I just felt OK with it.

Very stupid thing, VERY, VERY stupid and hard for me to share because it's so damn horrible but we did it and this kind of reminded me.

[RashanGary]

It's sad and horrifying but the experience itself isn't as torturous as one might imagine. You just do everything to stay alive and you don't really feel scared and at the last moment it's just OK. I don't pity drowning *the expereince* becuase it's not that bad. I do pity the fact that they will not get to live another day.

[Joemailman]

Here is the latest update on this story. Lake Pontchartrain is a huge body of water. They may search for a long time before giving up.

NFL: Coast Guard searching for Patriots' Marquise Hill

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — New England Patriots player Marquise Hill was reported missing following a jetski accident on Lake Pontchartrain, where U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews were searching for him on Monday.

"We searched throughout the night," Petty Officer Tom Atkeson said of the call the Coast Guard received around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Hill's agent, Albert Elias, said he had been told Hill and a young woman were jetskiing Sunday in the lake when both of them went into the water, which had a strong current. Elias said the woman was able to make it to a pylon and hang on until she was rescued, while Hill was last seen floating away from the scene.

"I'm an optimistic guy," Elias told WWL television in New Orleans. "He's a strong kid and a fighter."

Hill played on LSU's national championship team and was a second-round draft pick by New England in 2004.

The woman, whose identity was not available Monday morning, was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center where she told them Hill had tried to keep her calm as the two were drifting away from each other.

The Coast Guard was using boats and a helicopter to search the shoreline, Atkeson said. Wildlife and Fisheries was using a recovery line that drags the bottom of the water.

Neither Hill nor the woman wore a life preserver, Atkeson said.

"It's so important to have a life jacket and a signaling device," Atkeson said. "One keeps you afloat and the other helps us find you."

Elias said Hill, a defensive end, spent much of his time since Hurricane Katrina helping family members rebuild their homes.

[BallHawk]

It's sad and horrifying but the experience itself isn't as torturous as one might imagine. You just do everything to stay alive and you don't really feel scared and at the last moment it's just OK. I don't pity drowning *the expereince* becuase it's not that bad. I do pity the fact that they will not get to live another day.

Damn, Greg, that was quite a story. I also had somewhat of a drowning experience, back when I was 12. I was at a YMCA Pool, the ones that are like 12 feet deep. I was with my brother and we thought it was so cool that you could dive under and your ears would pop. So I went under again and tried to hold my breath at the bottom for as long as possible. So I'm sitting there and after 30 seconds decide to come up. I still had some air left, but I just felt like coming up. So, I head to swim up and then I feel a tug at my hip. I turn around and realize my swimsuit had gotten caught in one of the jets. For some stupid reason there was a hook inside the jet and my swimsuit had gotten caught in it. At first I thought it was no big deal, but I kept on pulling and my swimsuit wouldn't come off. At this point I couldn't just take off my suit and come up because the jet was sucking me against the wall. When I was just about out of air the hook fell of the wall and I broke loose. At this point my vision was fading and everything was hazy. I ended up hitting the side of the pool with my head and cutting it open a bit. It was weird the feeling when I was down there. After every second you feel like you're gonna blackout, but you just keep on going. It was almost peaceful when I was hazy. I'm scared shitless to go into that pool now, though.

[packinpatland]

BREAKING NEWS
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 33 minutes ago
NEW ORLEANS - A body believed to be New England Patriots player Marquise Hill was found by searchers Monday, a day after he was reported missing following a jetski accident on Lake Pontchartrain.

“The family will have to make positive identification,” Capt. Brian Clark of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department said. “But the body we found was that of Mr. Marquise Hill.”

The body was discovered about a quarter-mile from where Hill and a female companion were involved in the accident, Clark said.



The Coast Guard were called Sunday night, Petty Officer Tom Atkeson said. The search began immediately, using boats and helicopters.

By the time the body was found, the Coast Guard, Wildlife and Fisheries, the New Orleans Police Department and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department were involved, Clark said.

Hill’s agent, Albert Elias, said he had been told Hill and a young woman were jetskiing Sunday in the lake when both of them went into the water, which had a strong current. Elias said the woman was able to make it to a pylon and hang on until she was rescued, while Hill was last seen floating away from the scene.

Hill played on LSU’s national championship team and was a second-round draft pick by New England in 2004.

“We are all shocked,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement.

The woman, whose identity was not available Monday morning, was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center where she told them Hill had tried to keep her calm as the two were drifting away from each other.

Neither Hill nor the woman wore a life preserver, Atkeson said.

“It’s so important to have a life jacket and a signaling device,” Atkeson said. “One keeps you afloat and the other helps us find you.”

Elias said Hill, a defensive end, spent much of his time since Hurricane Katrina helping family members rebuild their homes.

[BallHawk]

This death could of easily been prevented. It's stupid to lose a life this way. His own ignorance caused his death. Nonetheless, my heart goes out to Hill's friends and family.

[oregonpackfan]

This death could of easily been prevented. It's stupid to lose a life this way. His own ignorance caused his death. Nonetheless, my heart goes out to Hill's friends and family.

It is truly tragic this young man lost his life.

It seems a number of young athletes drown under the illusion that because they are skilled athletes on the field/court, they are immune to drowning in the water. Even strong swimmers need life jackets should they receive a blow to the head or become immobilized due to hypothermia.

[packinpatland]

Sad day here in Patriotland.

[MadtownPacker]

Those are good stories JH and BH. Coming close to dying is always a like an awakening IMO.

Too bad for the patriot player but he shouldn't have been driving at night like that. He was probably all liquored up, would explain why he crashed and couldnt swim.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 12:34 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:06 p.m. EDT, May 29, 2007

PATS PAY TRIBUTE TO HILL

After the body of Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill was recovered on Monday from Lake Pontchartrain following a Sunday night jet ski accident, Pats coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft said all the right things in statements issued by the organization.

But there was a problem with the organizations online headquarters: The entry page to the Patriots' web site made no mention of the tragedy.

The situation lingered into Tuesday morning, and we were compelled to make note of the fact after receiving several e-mails from irate readers who reminded us of the manner in which the Broncos memorialized cornerback Darrent Williams after his January 1 murder.

The situation has been rectified; the team has changed the entry page to pay tribute to Hill.

In our opinion, it was the right thing to do, and it's better that it was late than not at all.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 8:37 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:48 a.m. EDT, May 29, 2007

LOSS OF HILL CREATES A BIG VOID

Although late Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill wasn't a household name in NFL circles, he made a significant impact in his three NFL seasons.

A member of the LSU national championship team, Hill entered the league as a second-round draft pick. But in a system that uses only three down linemen, and with a trio of down linemen named Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren, a lot of guys currently starting in other NFL cities would have been on the sidelines for much of the time, too.

But Hill still had a great perspective, as evidenced by quotes contained in Tuesday's Boston Herald.

"I don't worry about what other people say, because they can't play football," Hill said during the 2006 season.

"You can't get down on yourself too early in your career if you’re behind some good guys. Obviously you want to play, but everything happens for a reason, so you have to sit back and wait, and when your time comes, take advantage of it."

Hill also is being remembered today as a hero. After the jet ski on which he and a female friend were riding Sunday night in Lake Pontchartrain overturned, Hill helped her to a buoy and told her to stay calm, before drifting away in another direction.

An off-duty law enforcement officer heard the woman's screams for help, and he nearly rescued Hill.

Hill is remembered as a player who helped the team in many ways other than between the lines on game days.

"He worked hard and he was a funny guy," defensive lineman Jarvis Green told the Boston Globe.

"It's like Coach always says: 'Even if you're not on the field, you can still do a lot to help the team.' He was out there pushing guys in practice."

"He also liked to have fun and enjoy things. He always would say, 'Life is short.' He could find anything, anywhere, and talk about it and make everybody laugh. . . . He wouldn't sit here and be miserable. He was a guy who always smiled."

Said his uncle, Aaron Hill: "I'd never seen him as happy as I saw him [Sunday]."

Hill also found ways to help the community.

In October 2005, he led a group of Patriots players to his hometown of New Orleans, where they helped an M.S. patient who had survived Hurricane Katrina by building a ramp to her home, repairing her fence, and cleaning up her yard.

Hill is survived by a two-year-old son and a fiancee, Inell Benn.

[Joemailman]

[size=18Hill's death ruled drowning[/size]
Autopsy found no drugs or alcohol in New England DE
Posted: Tuesday May 29, 2007 3:08PM; Updated: Tuesday May 29, 2007 4:44PM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The death of New England Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill, who fell off a jet ski in Lake Pontchartrain, was ruled an accidental drowning on Tuesday.

An autopsy found no signs of drug or alcohol in Hill's body, although more tests are planned and will take two weeks to complete, said Orleans Parish coroner Dr. Frank Minyard.

Minyard said Hill might have suffered a mild concussion when he fell off the water craft.

"He might have hit the right side of his face above the eye when he fell off the craft," Minyard said. "He had a pretty nasty bruise there."

There was a slight amount of blood in the brain, which could indicate a concussion, Minyard said.

"That could have caused him some confusion," Minyard said. "Although we were told he talked to the woman who was with him after the accident, he could have become disoriented."

Hill played on LSU's national championship team and was a second-round draft pick by New England in 2004. He had yet to start for the Patriots, playing in 13 games in his NFL career.

Hill and a female friend had ventured onto the lake Sunday night near the south shore. Investigators said neither was wearing a life vest. Authorities said they ended up in an area of swirling currents near where a shipping canal runs into the lake.

"The water goes through there very fast and it's very deep -- 70, 80, 90 feet deep," said Minyard, who fishes in the area.

While the woman survived by clinging to a pylon until she was rescued, the 24-year-old Hill, who friends described as a good swimmer, drifted away and disappeared. Searchers pulled his body from the water on Monday afternoon.

"There were currents and very choppy waves," said Capt. Brian Clark of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department, who took part in the search. "That might have caused the accident, you have to know what you're doing in those conditions or you'll have trouble."

Hill was described by friends as a strong swimmer who included laps in his training routine. But the water conditions may have nullified his skill, Clark said.

State regulations require anyone riding the popular speedy water craft to wear a life jacket and be off the water a half hour before sunset, said Coast Guard officer Aldo Portillo.

Hill and his companion set out about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Sunset was at 7:53 p.m., the Coast Guard said.

Hill's agent, Albert Elias, said the player spent much of his time since Hurricane Katrina helping rebuild the homes of family members including his mother, Sherry, and the mother of his 2-year-old son.

"From what I hear, he's done a lot to help with things after Katrina, and I know he had a great passion for the city of New Orleans," said former LSU quarterback Matt Mauck, who was Hill's teammate at LSU. "Off field he was a really kind person, kind of like a gentle giant. And not only for LSU, but for New England and everyone who got a chance to meet him throughout his life, everyone has to be extremely saddened and disappointed to hear the news."

After heading to the NFL, Hill continued to do much of his offseason training at LSU's Baton Rouge campus, about 80 miles up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. He was known and admired by current Tigers players, university athletics spokesman Michael Bonnette said.

"His presence meant a lot for some of the younger guys. He gave them someone to look up to and he was always there for them," Bonnette said. "Here's a 6-foot-6, 300-pound guy, as intimidating as can be, and yet every time you approached him he always welcomed you with a big old smile.

"In between the lines, he had his game-face on, but outside the lines, in the community or in the weight room, he was always smiling and having a good time."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.