It has been a busy and troubling week for members of the Lake Lewisville Fire Department dive team, who were tasked with searching for and recovering the bodies of three individuals who drowned in Lake Lewisville over three consecutive days.
The first drowning occurred in the public beach area of Lake Park at about 8:30 p.m. on Monday. Carlos Munoz, 19, was swimming near a buoy when he went underwater and did not resurface, according to The Cross Timbers Gazette.
The Lewisville Fire Department Dive Team retrieved Munoz from the water around 9:15 p.m., but he was not breathing and had no pulse. He was then transported to the hospital while paramedics administered CPR but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The next day, on the Fourth of July, a man went underwater near the northwest area of the lake near Corinth at about 3:30 p.m., per NBC 5 DFW.
Police said the man was part of a group that rented a pontoon boat. The group had anchored the boat in the middle of the lake and were swimming from there.
The Lake Cities Fire Department and the Lewisville Fire Department dive team joined in the search for the missing 40-year-old man. The man’s body was recovered the next day, late in the evening, WFAA reported.
Before the second victim could be recovered, a third man was reported missing in the waters of Lake Lewisville. The Highland Village Fire Department was notified around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday about the possible drowning of a 19-year-old man who had been swimming near the Copperas Branch Park area of the lake.
The Lewisville Fire Department dive team assisted with the search but was unable to recover the body by nightfall on Wednesday. The search was called off until the following day.
The body of the third victim was recovered Thursday afternoon, WFAA reported. None of the victims who drowned this week were wearing life jackets.
Days prior to these incidents, just ahead of the July 4th holiday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) issued warnings about water safety. TPWD offered reminders about the dangers of boating under the influence, as well as steps that can be taken to prevent unnecessary accidents.
“Simple steps to take before heading out on the water include wearing a life jacket, learning to swim, using the ignition safety switch, checking weather reports, and participating in a boater education class,” Texas game wardens said in a press release, per The Dallas Express.
To prevent drownings during the holiday, the game wardens partnered with the United States Coast Guard and other elements of law enforcement to enact an initiative called Operation Dry Water.
The program, organized by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, focused on increased enforcement of boating-under-the-influence laws.
