WATER RESCUE AT LAKE SOMERVILLE AFTER HIGH WINDS LEAVE FIVE STRANDED

  

Five people were rescued from the water Monday afternoon at Lake Somerville.

Multiple first responder agencies were dispatched around 4 p.m. for a water rescue operation at Rocky Creek Park.  

According to a release from the Rocky Creek Volunteer Fire Department, a group of five individuals using an inflatable canoe and two inflatable kayaks became stranded and in distress due to high winds on the lake. 

Other agencies responding were the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, Brenham Fire Department, and Washington County EMS.

The Rocky Creek VFD rescue boat, along with a boat from the Corps of Engineers, safely rescued all five individuals and brought them to shore without further incident.  Washington County Sheriff Trey Holleway said the patients were evaluated by EMS, and there were no reported injuries.

Holleway said the sheriff’s office appreciates the cooperation of all the county resources that came together for the safety of the community.

The Rocky Creek VFD reminds residents and visitors at the lake to practice water safety at all times.  Under Texas law, stand-up paddleboards are classified as vessels, and standard boating safety regulations apply:

• Children under 13 years of age must wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while on the water.
• Individuals 13 years of age and older must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board that is readily accessible.  Although adults are not legally required to wear a life jacket, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Game Wardens strongly encourage doing so.
• All paddleboards must be equipped with a whistle or other approved sound-producing device to signal for help in an emergency.