3-year-old girl found alone in boat, man’s body discovered nearby, Texas cops say

Texas authorities found a man’s body after searching for a missing father whose little girl was found sleeping alone in a boat on Lake Granbury on Friday.

The 3-year-old was discovered floating in the vessel by herself around 9 a.m. Friday, the Hood County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Deputies said they were told the child’s 32-year-old father had launched his boat with the girl around 5 p.m. Thursday from the ramp at Granbury City Beach along Business Highway 377, not far from Lake Bridge.

Authorities recovered a man’s body just after 5:30 p.m. Friday about 60 feet from where they found the boat, NBC DFW reported. The body had not been officially identified Friday evening.

Deputies said the toddler “is in good condition.”

Officials said the girl was discovered after a local spotted a boat adrift on the lake, then went to secure it and realized a child was sleeping inside, WFAA reported. Authorities said the girl told the person who found her that “daddy went swimming,” according to the TV station.

With no trace of the father, game wardens and other authorities began combing the north portion of the lake, WFAA reported.

The Hood County News described the search as “frantic.”