A man from Texas has drowned after the boat he rented drifted away when he went for a swim.
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According to a report by People, the incident occurred on Sunday, May 4. Authorities have not released the man's identity but say he was 34 years old. He was at Lake Conroe in Montgomery County with family members from across the US. Fox26 Houston reveals that the man jumped from his boat into the water near Atkins Creek after deploying the anchor.
Unfortunately, the anchor did not hold the vessel in place and drifted away as the winds picked up. Police believe the man did not realize how deep the water was and tried to swim back to the boat when he realized it had moved away. He reportedly went under the water and did not resurface. The outlet explains that this is the first drowning in Lake Conroe this year.
The Boat Drifted Away In Deep Water
During an interview, Lt. Higginbotham explained that the family "threw the anchor out, but the anchor didn't set, but they didn't know that." He also explained that the water near the creek is quite deep, at around 30 feet. Emergency services were in the area and quickly arrived at the scene. Authorities had to use divers to retrieve the man's body. Multiple agencies joined the search and found the body at around 7 PM.
Per Visit Conroe, the lake is 22,000 acres surrounded by 156 miles of shoreline. It's a popular destination for angling, kayaking, and swimming.
Last month, authorities reported another drowning incident, this time on the Rappahannock River in Spotsylvania County. A father, Danny Sumner, was out on a fishing trip with his son, Donovan, and they were casting off a dock. However, alarm bells started ringing when it was 9:45 PM, and the pair had not returned home.
Madeline Sumner, Danny's wife, contacted the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office. Authorities began searching and quickly found Danny's car and phone at the dock. Investigators believe that Donovan had caught a fish but fell into the river. Danny dived in to rescue his son but got into trouble himself. Divers recovered both bodies after a brief search and believe the incident was a tragic accident. No foul play is suspected.
