Rough surf leaves 1 dead, 1 missing
Drowning death was third in Galveston this year, chief says
One swimmer was found dead and another reported missing along the Texas coast on Sunday, as people flocked to the beach for the holiday weekend.
A red flag warning was in effect in Galveston, warning of rough surf and unusually strong rip currents.
Emergency responders located the body of 29-year-old Jose Hernandez around 8 a.m. on Sunday in San Luis Pass, known to be a dangerous area to swim, according to officials.
Hernandez, who lived in Houston, had been with friends drinking, Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said. They saw him go into the water for a swim.
The friends called authorities around 1:30 a.m. when they lost sight of him, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release.
Water runs strong, and the ground can drop off steeply in the pass, located at the western end of Galveston Island. The county line runs down the middle of it.
This was the third drowning death in Galveston this year, Davis said, including another in the pass at night.
On the Brazoria County side, around 13 people have drowned there in the last 10 years, said John Blankenship, vice president of the Gulf Coast Rescue Squad.
Swimming is prohibited there on both sides and can be punishable by up to a $500 fine.
Just the day before, Blankenship shooed people from the water in the pass. The Galveston
Beach patrol also keeps an eye on it, and there are warning signs.
“I just wish people would stay out of San Luis Pass,” Blankenship said. “People just don’t realize the danger.”
The Rescue Squad, a nonprofit based in Clute, which works alongside the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and local constable’s office, found the body matching the missing man’s description floating in the water.
Galveston police, the beach patrol and the Jamaica Beach Fire Department also helped Coast Guard crews in the search.
Lt. Cmdr. Caren Damon, the Coast Guard search and rescue mission coordinator in the Houston-Galveston area, reiterated the danger of the area.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this young man,” Damon said in a prepared statement. “The Coast Guard reminds everyone to pay close attention to the signs prohibiting swimming and wading in the area.”
Around 1 p.m., Coast Guard searchers were notified of a missing 16-year-old swimmer 60 miles down the coast, at Matagorda Beach.
They looked by helicopter and boat for the teen, who did not make it back after swimming with friends, according to a news release.
The Matagorda Sheriff ’s Office and Texas Parks and Wildlife were assisting in the search.
In Galveston, the beach patrol meanwhile posted red flags on Sunday warning of the dangerous swimming conditions.
Adults who knew how to swim were recommended to stay in water no more than waist deep. Children and those who could not swim were suggested to stay along the surf line.
The so-called red flag warning was also in place Saturday. It was possible it would continue into Monday.
“We do worry about it when it’s a holiday, because there’s so many more people in the rough surf,” said Davis, the patrol chief.
Meteorologists predicted such conditions heading into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, when Galveston is a popular destination.
“Rip currents can be deadly,” the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston branch tweeted on Sunday.