Boating accidents claim at least seven lives over Memorial Day weekend

At least seven people drowned or suffered fatal injuries in Texas boating incidents over the Memorial Day weekend as the search continued Thursday for another boater believed to have drowned.

These fatal boating incidents were reported:

An 11-year-old boy being towed in an inner tube along with two other children died when a wake boarder hit them in the San Jacinto River about 2 p.m. May 30. In addition to the fatality, one of the children was injured.

The body of a 56-year-old man who disappeared beneath the water when his canoe overturned in the Colorado River in Bastrop County about 5 p.m. May 30 was recovered by a TPWD game warden Tuesday night. He had not been wearing a life vest.

The collision of two personal watercraft on Eagle Mountain Lake in Tarrant County claimed the life of a 22-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman. Both died of head injuries.

A 24-year-old man drowned in Lake Lewisville about 6 p.m. Sunday after he jumped from a boat. His body was recovered in 13 feet of water two hours later. He had not been wearing a life vest.

The body of a 22-year-old man who jumped into the water from a boat in Grapevine Lake on Sunday and disappeared beneath the surface was recovered Thursday morning. He had not been wearing a life vest.

A 63-year-old man died on the Brazos River in the Chalk Bluff area of McLennan County about 4 p.m. Sunday when the airboat he was operating crashed into some trees.

On Canyon Lake, game wardens continued their search Thursday for a 46-year-old fisherman whose empty boat washed ashore Monday.

In 2009, 207 boating accidents in Texas led to 38 deaths and 139 injuries, according to TPWD records. Studies have shown that roughly 85 per cent of all boating accident victims had not been wearing life jackets.By: Mike Cox

 

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