Texas Game Wardens are warning residents after multiple water-related fatalities occurred across lakes throughout the state as the Fourth of July weekend approaches.
Last week, Texas Game Wardens announced on Facebook that wardens had responded to multiple water-related fatalities and emergencies across Texas lakes.
The incidents occurred at Lake Travis, Lake Fryer, Galveston Bay, Benbrook Lake, Lake Jacksonville, and Lake Brownwood.
In total, wardens responded to eight water-related deaths and multiple serious injuries last week.
Cody Jones, Assistant Commander for Texas Game Wardens, told Fox 7 Austin there was one death and one emergency at Lake Travis over the weekend.
“The incidents that occurred last weekend could all potentially have been preventable, employing just some focused safety initiatives, one being if everybody wears a life jacket on the water, that’s key number one to life safety,” Jones said.
According to World Atlas, the five most dangerous bodies of water in Texas include Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Lake Travis in Travis County, and the Guadalupe River near Kerr County. Others have also identified Lake Lewisville and Canyon Lake among the state’s most dangerous waterways.
Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, Texas Game Wardens are urging visitors to take precautions by:
- Wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
- Never operating a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Closely supervising children near the water.
- Monitoring changing weather conditions before and during outings.
“Game Wardens will be out there patrolling the waterways, conducting safety inspections to make sure that you have all your safety equipment on board your vessel, but also making sure that the operator and the passengers are enjoying their time out there safely and not using alcohol or drugs while they’re out there operating on the water,” Jones told Fox 7 Austin.
