WillyBWright
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New England Patriot Marquis Hill mising in jestki accident
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- 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.
"We are all shocked," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. "We can only hope and pray that the search and rescue is successful. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marquise and his family. We know that Marquise is a strong young man and will remain optimistic while continuing to pray for his rescue."
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.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- 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.
"We are all shocked," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. "We can only hope and pray that the search and rescue is successful. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marquise and his family. We know that Marquise is a strong young man and will remain optimistic while continuing to pray for his rescue."
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.
