Texas Game Wardens resumed search efforts at Benbrook Lake in Tarrant County on June 29 for a man who went missing in the water two days earlier, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in an official statement.
According to TPWD, wardens first responded to the lake around 1 p.m. on June 27 for a possible water fatality. Witnesses said two men jumped from a vessel to assist a child, and one of the men went underwater and did not resurface, the agency said. High winds and choppy conditions slowed the initial response.
The search continued over the following days with support from the Texas Game Warden Underwater Search and Recovery Team and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As of the evening of June 28, crews had searched the lake throughout the day, but windy conditions and trees on the lake bottom made the effort slow, according to the statement. TPWD said search efforts were set to resume the morning of June 29.
The department said it would not release identifying information out of respect for the family’s wishes. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the man’s family and friends during this difficult time,” TPWD said in the statement.
The agency noted the incident was one of several water fatalities Texas Game Wardens responded to across the state that day and emphasized that many water-related tragedies are preventable. TPWD urged the public to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, avoid boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, keep a close watch on children, use a vessel’s emergency engine cut-off switch and prepare for changing weather. Conditions can change quickly and emergencies often happen with little warning, the agency said.