The family of a medical student who was left brain dead after being pushed into a lake has taken legal action against those who were allegedly involved.
As previously reported, 26-year-old Christopher Gilbert's aspirations for a medical career hang in the balance after what was supposed to be a day of leisure with friends turned into a nightmare.
Gilbert was left brain dead after friends allegedly pushed him into Lake D’Arbonne in Farmerville on April 14, an act captured on video that has sparked outrage and calls for justice.
According to The New York Post, Gilbert, who couldn't swim, was forcibly shoved off a dock by his friends, leaving him struggling for his life in the water while they looked on.
Despite his desperate struggle, none of them rushed to his aid. It took the intervention of a bystander nearly ten minutes later to pull Gilbert from the water.
Upon arrival at a local hospital, Gilbert was unable to speak and his mother, Yolanda George, was left devastated by the events.
Speaking to KSLA, she said: "I was devastated. I felt like my life had ended in that moment. My son is aspiring to be a medical doctor, he got his masters last year. My son is so sweet, the most selfless being you'll ever meet, I was in a terrible state."
Gilbert's friends initially attempted to downplay their actions as "horse-play," withholding crucial information about his condition.
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It wasn't until later that one of the friends, a young woman, confessed to pushing Gilbert into the lake, though claiming ignorance about his inability to swim.
Claudia Payne, a personal injury attorney representing George, condemned the friends' actions, stating: "To add insult to injury, after pushing him, no one from the ‘friend group’ attempted to go in after him. Instead, two brave bystanders, who have no relationship to Chris, heard commotion and retrieved his body from the lake."
Now, as Gilbert recuperates in the hospital, his family's attorney has confirmed their determination to seek justice.
Payne revealed to The New York Post that Gilbert has been taken off life support and is regaining the ability to communicate with his family.
The family's resolve to pursue legal recourse extends beyond compensation.
They are calling for accountability, specifically targeting the individual who admitted to pushing Gilbert into the water and the establishment where the incident occurred.
Payne has noted the role of race in the case, expressing concern over the lack of arrests despite a clear admission of guilt.
"Had Chris, a black male, pushed a white female into a lake, he would be arrested," Payne stated, emphasizing the need for equitable treatment under the law.
"Why would you push my son into the lake knowing he couldn’t swim?" George said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
She continued: "Everyone knows he can't swim. He jokes about not being able to swim, even when we went to the restaurant the owner of the restaurant stated everybody knows Chris can't swim, he's been coming here for two years he's always joking about it."
