On 5/12/2012, at approximately 7:00 PM, I, Texas State Game Warden, was on patrol with Warden Calvin Christian in George West, Texas. I received a call about an individual who capsized his kayak at Tips Park, located Northwest of Three Rivers, TX. Warden and I arrived on scene and met Sgt. with the Three Rivers Police Department.  

Sgt. informed us that an individual, later identified, was kayaking over the low head dam when his boat capsized and he drowned. Sgt. stated there was a witness that was with Operator during the accident. 

The witness was identified. Witness stated that he and Operator had known each other for approximately two years and had been kayaking together several times before. Witness stated he was going to videotape Operator going over the dam. Operator was wearing his personal flotation device with a .357 Taurus hand gun attached to the front. Also, Operator had a dry bag inside a compartment which contained his ID, wallet, personal effects, and a model 32 Glock hand gun.

Operator went over the dam and immediately the kayak capsized. Both Operator and the Kayak went under water. Periodically, both the kayak and Operator would come up resurface and then go back down again. This action was caused by the hydraulics of the dam producing an undertow.  Witness got in his kayak to try and help Operator, but Witness felt his kayak being pulled into the current so he bailed out only three feet from shore. Witness’s kayak was pulled by the current to the dam and was then caught in the undertow of the current. 

Operator and his kayak eventually resurfaced and Operator was seen drifting down river from the dam floating face down with his PFD still on.  Operator was pulled out of the river approximately one quarter mile down river from the dam by two firefighters from the Three Rivers Fire Department. Judge Chapa, the Justice of the Peace, stated he believed it was a bad accident and pronounced deceased at 7:45 PM.  Operator’s .357 Taurus was not attached to his PFD when he was recovered.  Operator’s kayak and paddle was found the next day approximately two miles downriver from the dam; however, the dry bag with his wallet, ID, Glock handgun and personal effects were never recovered.

Three Rivers                  