Houston man drowns under river bridge

GONZALES — Police officers, sheriff’s deputies, fire department and EMS/rescue were dispatched to the Guadalupe River bridge on Highway 183 Saturday in reference to a report of a drowning incident that claimed the life of a 37-year-old Houston man, officials say.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden Dustin Balfanz reported that around 8 p.m. July 29, a man and a woman were fishing on the gravel bar under the bridge when they waded out into the water. Balfanz said the two were then picked up by the current and swept downstream.

While the woman was able to swim back to the riverbank, the man was pulled underwater just on the east side of the bridge, about 100 feet from the gravel bar.

First responders searched for the man until dark, then resumed their search on Sunday morning. Rescue staff in boats searched the river for most of the day before finding the man’s body just after 6 p.m.

Officials have not yet released the man’s name.

When it comes to safety when getting in any river, Balfanz emphasizes the importance of knowing one’s swimming abilities before deciding to enter the water.

“Know your swimming capabilities,” he said. “If you do not have any swimming skills, you’ll want to use some type of flotation device. If your swimming capabilities are not up to par, then you should take into account that bad things can happen. Water is a very powerful thing, and it takes lots of lives every year. It doesn’t take much water for someone to drown.”

Sheriff Matt Atkinson offered some advice of his own regarding fishing and swimming safety, particularly in the Guadalupe River.

“You can’t see what’s under that water,” Atkinson said. “While we can’t tell you not to swim there, it’s best to be extremely careful if you decide to do so. That’s always been a bad spot. I can think of two other drownings that happened in that exact spot in the last 20 years. It’s a bad hole, but people swim in it.”