St. Martin Parish Sheriff Deputies say a man drowned while swimming with a group of friends Saturday afternoon.

It happened shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday in Belle River, near Bayou Magazille.

Deputies with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office say they responded to the scene and learned that 58-year-old Donald T. Matherne of Port Allen was swimming with a group of friends near their party barge when they noticed that he had not resurfaced.

Initial attempts by the group to locate him were unsuccessful, deputies said.

Recovery efforts were initiated by deputies with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office and the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, and at approximately  8:30 p.m.,  Deputies with the St. Mary Parish Marine Patrol Division recovered his body.

No additional information was released in reference to the drowning.