A recovery operation at Lake Travis ended with the discovery of a body on Sunday evening, following a report of a missing man who was last seen using a handheld scooter in the water without a life jacket. The Travis County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) announced the recovery in a press release on June 23rd.
Multiple agencies, including TCSO Lake Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Lake Travis Fire Rescue, Starflight, and the Lower Colorado River Authority, collaborated in the search after receiving a call around 2:40 p.m. on June 22 about a man in his 70s missing in a cove at Arkansas Bend County Park, the search which began as a rescue mission soon shifted to a recovery effort as the evening fell, and TCSO took the helm in coordination. Search teams, utilizing shoreline patrols, surface searches, Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV), and sonar technology worked diligently into the evening and resumed their efforts at dawn the following day.
The effort concluded with the recovery of the man's body at a depth of 29 feet in the same cove he was reported missing from, the identification of the man has been withheld out of respect for the family, and the authorities have stated that there's no suggestion of a criminal incident; the cause and manner of death are under investigation by the Travis County Medical Examiner.
In light of this incident, TCSO reiterated the importance of safety measures when on the water, emphasizing that wearing a life jacket is the best practice for ensuring one's safety as matters on open waters can swiftly turn perilous, and for emergencies to follow certain protocols to aid in quick and effective response.
