Missing Man's Body Recovered At Lake Ray Hubbard
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GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) - After waiting out severe storms, divers resumed their search for a missing swimmer at Lake Ray Hubbard on Monday morning and were able to locate his body. Firefighters were called to the scene at about 1:00 p.m. on Sunday for a man who jumped off of a boat and never resurfaced. The search was suspended on Sunday night.
According to authorities, the man was with a group of people who got out of the boat to swim. Investigators do not believe that anyone was wearing a life jacket. One person in the group started to struggle in the water, so the man -- who had stayed back with the boat -- grabbed a life jacket and jumped into the water to help.
"He didn't have one on," said Deputy Chief Michael Coleman with the Dallas Police Department. "He had it in his hand to take it to the person in the water."
Afterward, the group was unable to locate the man again. They stayed on the lake with searchers throughout the day to help in the effort. Everyone else who was in the water was able to return to the boat safely. Crews located the man's body on Monday afternoon near the area where he went under.
"Anyone want to try to save someone if they're drowning, they're going to pull you back in," added Daniel O'Donnell, who was fishing at the lake over the weekend. "I wouldn't recommend someone jumping in without a life jacket, trying to save someone who's already drowning."
According to officials, everything would have been fine if both individuals were wearing a life jacket. The man should have put a life jacket on himself first, before jumping into the water to help anyone else -- similar to the procedures used with masks in an airplane.
The water on the lake is very choppy. "It is a huge difference compared to a swimming pool," said boater Jami Jobson. "It only takes a second to sweep you under and then take you off. Because you may feel like you've got the current, but once you get in that undercurrent and that tow pulls you under, there's no getting back up."
Once daylight faded into darkness, rescue crews used sonar in their search, but still came up with nothing on Sunday night. A search with the sonar on Monday did turn up something. Divers went under and located the missing man's body.
The plan was to hit the water once again early Monday morning, but crews were forced to wait more than two hours while rain and lightning passed through the area. "If it's lightning out, you shouldn't be on the water," explained Sgt. Terry Varden with the Dallas Police Department dive team.
Game wardens remind everyone that boat owners are required to have a life jacket for every person on board, and anyone who is under 13 years old must be wearing one when the boat is in motion. "Keep the life jackets," said boater Juan Dominguez on Sunday. "They should know if they have a boat. They know what they have to have. On jet skis, they know they have to have whistles and ropes and life jackets. Just keep it safe, that's the best thing."
