Aspiring doctor's family vows to sue after his friends left him to die in lake ... trends now
The family of an aspiring doctor whose friends left him to die in a lake when they knew he couldn't swim are calling for legal action as he recovers in hospital.
Medical student Christopher Gilbert, 26, was pushed into a lake in Farmerville, Louisiana, on April 14, and left fighting for his life for 20 minutes while his friends watched on.
His heart and breathing had stopped by the time a patron from a nearby restaurant saw what was going on, hauled him to the surface and began CPR. By the time he reached hospital, doctors said he was almost 'brain dead'.
Now, as the medical student makes a remarkable recovery, his family is considering civil action against the restaurant Gilbert was at before the incident and are demanding to know why no one has been arrested.
Family lawyer Claudia Payne told the New York Post: 'Had Chris, a black male, pushed a white female into a lake, he would be arrested.'
Christopher Gilbert, 26, had graduated with a master's degree from Louisiana State University
Video from the incident shows Gilbert's friends casually peering into the water as he fought for up to 20 minutes to save himself at the lake in Farmerville, Louisiana
'We don't know if it may turn worse again because at one point, he was off the ventilator but then they put him back on two days later' his mother said
Video filmed at the scene showed the group of friends casually peering into the water as Gilbert fought for up to 20 minutes to save himself.
The group of friends told police he 'just kind of fell face first into the water' before a young woman admitted that she had pushed him off the pier during 'horse play'.
Gilbert was pulled from the water by a patron at the restaurant, Dawson Foust, who noticed what was happening and dived into the water.
If not for Foust, he may have died.
He was rushed to hospital and placed on life support as doctors told his family he was almost 'brain dead'.
But less than a month later he has made a remarkable recovery and is talking to his family and eating again, although he is still dealing with memory problems.
Payne told The Post that his family are planning a civil suit against that restaurant, claiming it failed to properly restrict access to the lake despite serving alcohol.
They also want the girl who admitted to pushing Gilbert into the lake to be arrested.
Payne said: 'Had Chris, a black male, pushed a white female into a lake, he would be arrested. I’ve defended alleged criminals with less evidence that they’ve made arrests on.'
'In the legal field, we characterize things the way we see fit,' said family lawyer Claudia Payne. 'Of course, they are saying horseplay. We are saying that it was a criminal intentional push into the lake.'
His heart and breathing had stopped by the time an onlooker hauled him from the 15ft
