Dallas Fire-Rescue is reporting that two men likely drowned on Sunday near the Elm Fork portion of the Trinity River.
Fire-Rescue received reports around 3:30 p.m. from witnesses who said they saw two men go underwater but not resurface.
Rescue workers responded to the scene near a dam at California Crossing Park. The park is located on the 1600 block of California Crossing Road. California Crossing Park is a 363-acre public park founded in 1956 with a riverfront beach.
Over a dozen Dallas Fire-Rescue units searched throughout Sunday but did not find any bodies as of Monday. According to DFR, sonar systems were used to scan the river repeatedly with no result.
As of publication, the identities of the two men believed to have drowned have not been released by DFR.
The Trinity River is the seventh longest river in Texas. The river runs from North Texas near Fort Worth through Dallas and empties into Galveston Bay just east of Houston.
According to an estimate from Columbia University environmental studies and American history professor Wallace Scot McFarlane, around 100 people have drowned in the Trinity River in the past 200 years.
Two teens in Liberty County, east of Houston, drowned in the river in 2020. They were also swimming at a local park on the Trinity River.
In 2022, a 15-year-old boy drowned in the Polk County stretch of the river near the Lake Livingston Dam.
Texas Children’s Hospital provides a list of best practices and tips to mitigate drowning risk:
- Practice arm-length direct “touch supervision” by an adult for infants and toddlers. None of the below measures is a substitute for direct adult supervision – supervising adults should be free of distractions from phones, social media, alcohol, etc.
- Enroll your children in swim lessons. It’s never too late! These lessons often teach not only swimming but also life-saving methods of floating for when a child awaits help.
- Put away water toys if they aren’t being used. If left in the water or near the edge of the water, they can attract children.
- Don’t rely on “floaties” or other similar devices for your children. These can slip off and provide a false sense of security.
- Consider CPR training and certification.
- Keep a cell phone near the water in case of emergency.
- Never swim alone – find a buddy.
- Stay near a lifeguard.
- Follow posted rules and the lifeguard’s commands.
- Don’t consume alcohol while swimming.
The Dallas Express reached out to Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department for additional information but did not receive a response from either by the publication deadline.
