A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded along the Trinity River in Texas after two teenagers drowned when their kayak overturned — and the father of one of the boys disappeared while trying to rescue them.
According to The Associated Press, authorities said the accident happened Sunday evening near a boat ramp close to the town of Camilla, just south of the Lake Livingston Dam. According to the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, choppy river conditions caused the kayak carrying the teens, ages 14 and 15, to capsize.
In a desperate attempt to save them, the father of one of the boys jumped into the turbulent waters. But all three went under and did not resurface.
Texas Game Wardens, along with local law enforcement, recovered the bodies of the two teenagers later that night. The search for the missing man — now in its third day — remains ongoing.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to this family and everyone affected,” San Jacinto County Sheriff Sam Houston said in a statement. “We ask our community to join us in prayer for comfort and strength for the loved ones involved.”
Officials said multiple agencies are involved in the recovery effort, including Texas Game Wardens’ underwater search and recovery team, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cape Royale Volunteer Fire Department.
“Finding the victim remains our top priority,” Texas Game Wardens said in a statement.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims pending notification of family members.
Camilla, a small East Texas community about 65 miles northeast of Houston, sits near a stretch of the Trinity River known for its unpredictable current and debris-filled waters — conditions that can quickly turn deadly even for experienced swimmers.
While statistics are patchy, a 2014 report states that the Trinity River had 16 reported drowning deaths between 2010 and that time, which was the second-highest number among Texas rivers surveyed.
