A Black Bayou pontoon bridge operator was found dead in the bridge control tower early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The operator, Dorothy S. Carter, 58, died after her clothing became stuck in a motor, trapping her, said Matt Vezinot with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Carter, of Grand Chenier, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

The state Department of Transportation and Development had asked sheriff’s deputies to check on Carter after she failed to answer phone calls, said Deidra Druilhet, DOTD spokeswoman.

Vezinot said deputies went to the bridge at about 4:30 a.m. and found Carter face down in the motor in the control tower building. “Foul play is in no way suspected, as the death appears to be accidental,” he said.

The bridge, on Big Lake Road, was closed for the most of the morning. It was reopened by 1 p.m., said Patrick Cusey, DOTD bridge maintenance engineer.

“There was no real damage done to the structure as a result of this unfortunate accident,” Cusey said. “Never before have I seen something like this, and my hope is it’s the only time.”

He said the Grand Lake bridge operator drove to the Black Bayou bridge after he couldn’t make contact with Carter and knew something was wrong “when he arrived closer to the scene with no response from the tower.”

The Black Bayou bridge, moved via a cable system, is a one-person operation, Cusey said.

Dorothy S. Carter