Missing swimmer found dead 6 weeks after lake wave took him under, Texas sheriff says
Nearly six weeks after a man was reported missing while swimming in Lake Travis, Texas officials say his body has been recovered.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office say the man was last seen alive on Aug. 7 while treading water in the lake, about 20 miles northwest of Austin.
Right before 7 p.m. that Saturday, first responders were called to the lake between Starnes Island and North Shore, according to a Friday news release from the sheriff’s office.
Witnesses reported that two men were treading water while waiting to switch places with their friends on a “large floating tube,” officials said.
“One of the men, who was not wearing a life jacket, was last seen several feet from the tube,” the release says. “Witnesses said a wave went over the swimmer and he never resurfaced.”
Officials said the man’s body was located via sonar on Wednesday afternoon and was recovered from 110 feet under.
“Locating the missing man and making the recovery was dangerous and challenging due to brush, trees, and a steep ledge in that area,” the release states.
An autopsy was done Friday morning, officials said, and the results have not been released. The identity of the man also has not been released.
Last week, another missing swimmer was recovered from Lake Travis five days after she went missing, McClatchy News previously reported.
“She began to struggle in the water and was not able to reach a life jacket that was nearby, tethered to the boat,” the sheriff’s office said in the news release. She then went under and was later found 124 feet deep.
Ten swimmers have been reported missing at Lake Travis so far this year, the release says, and now all 10 bodies have been found.
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