Six people rescued after boat sinks on Lake Buchanan
Firefighters from the Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department rescued six boaters after their vessel sank on Lake Buchanan on the night of June 16. Courtesy photo
Buchanan volunteer firefighters pulled six boaters out of Lake Buchanan at around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 16, after their vessel sank about 200 yards from shore. Among the rescued were four adults and two children, who survived the ordeal thanks to their life jackets and quick thinking.
“(The boaters) did the right thing,” Buchanan VFD Fire Chief Chad Mitchell told DailyTrib.com. “They all had life jackets on, and they stayed together. They didn’t scatter off and swim to safety, so it made them simple to locate.”
According to Mitchell, the ski boat was swamped by a wave after the captain powered down the engine too quickly. After the initial wave, the craft took on more water and sank.
The boaters had a cellphone and were able to call 9-1-1 at around 10:20 p.m., but they weren’t aware of their exact location on the lake. With the help of two bystanders on the shoreline and pinging local cell towers, the firefighters were able to find the stranded boaters.
The firefighters launched from Black Rock Park on the west side of Lake Buchanan and made the rescue near Flag Island.
“Everybody made it back safe and sound,” Chief Mitchell said. “There were no injuries and no issues other than being scared, tired, and wet.”
At the time of writing, the boat is still on the bottom of the lake. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens have taken over the investigation of the incident.