Body of missing swimmer recovered from Lake Travis, authorities say

Search crews on Sunday found the body of a swimmer reported missing in Lake Travis over the weekend, authorities said.

Lake Patrol deputies with the Travis County sheriff's office responded at 5:30 p.m. Saturday to 911 reports that a man in his 20s had never resurfaced while swimming in Devil's Cove on the north shore of Lake Travis opposite Hudson Bend.

"After nearly an hour of rescue efforts, the incident transitioned to a recovery mission," the sheriff's office said in a statement Monday.

Lake Patrol deputies began sonar searches, but recovery efforts were suspended later that evening, the sheriff's office said.

Early Sunday, deputies resumed the search using sonar and a remotely operated underwater camera system.

"A viable target was located via sonar and TCSO’s Dive Team began their operations at that location," the sheriff's office said

The body of a man was found in about 30 feet of water and pulled from the lake.

"Out of respect for the family involved, and because this is not a criminal incident, TCSO will not disclose the identity of the decedent via press release," the sheriff's office said.

Travis County authorities last year investigated the disappearance of at least 10 people on Lake Travis, the most people to be reported missing on the lake in one year in recent memory.

More: 10 people have gone missing on Lake Travis this year. Here are tips to stay safe.

Safety tips

Authorities used the incident to remind visitors to Lake Travis that they should wear a life jacket to ensure safety on the water. Texas law requires children 13 and younger to wear a life jacket while out on the water, and a life jacket must be available for each adult on a boat.

Be aware that drowning does not usually look the way it's portrayed on television and in movies, safety experts say. People do not typically yell for help because they might be choking on water and you might only hear them slap the water.

In the event of a water emergency, the sheriff's office says you should:

• Throw a flotation device to the person in distress.

• Know where you are on the lake using maps or landmarks.

• Avoid assisting anyone unless you are wearing a life jacket.

• Alert boaters around you by yelling, blowing a whistle or sounding a horn.

Temperatures will be in the mid-90s for the next several days with elevated humidity levels making it feel more like triple-digit highs, according to the National Weather Service. Lake visitors should pack plenty of sunscreen and stay hydrated to avoid heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke.

Scant rainfall in Central Texas in the past few weeks has kept Lake Travis from being replenished. The lake is considered only 62% full by the Lower Colorado River Authority, which manages the reservoir. The lake's elevation Monday stood about 654.8 feet above mean sea level, nearly 15 feet below the historical average for May.

Lower lake levels typically expose hazards that normally would be underwater, such as tree limbs and stumps, as well as artificial hazards such as old construction materials, sunken docks and boats.

Because Lake Travis is essentially a flooded canyon, the sheriff's office for years has warned swimmers about steep drop-offs in some arms of the lake.

"You could be in 3 feet of water in one spot and take two steps forward and you'll be in 150 feet water," sheriff's Sgt. Greg Lawson, who is on the county's lake patrol and water recovery team, told the American-Statesman in 2019.

Statesman staff writer Kelsey Bradshaw contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Authorities say body of missing swimmer recovered from Lake Travis