Two young girls, ages 3 and 5, died after a boat capsized on Cedar Creek Lake, approximately 60 miles southeast of Dallas, late Sunday night, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. when a group of 12 people — 10 adults and two children — were on a boat that overturned. The bodies of the girls were recovered just before midnight. Lt. Randall Newkirk with the Tool Volunteer Fire Department told Fox 4 KDFW that the boat’s battery died as the group attempted to return to the dock, causing the vessel to take on water and flip.
All 10 adults safely reached shore, but multiple agencies, including the Tool Volunteer Fire Department and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, responded to search for the children. It remains unclear whether anyone on board was wearing a life jacket.
First responders noted that some individuals on the boat were from Mansfield and were visiting family near the lake. The exact cause of the incident is under investigation, and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office is expected to provide an update on Monday morning.
An extensive multi-agency search for a missing Dallas firefighter ended tragically Monday morning when authorities recovered the body of Juan Omar Chaidez, a firefighter paramedic with Dallas Fire-Rescue, from Lake Lavon near Bratonia Park. Chaidez, who had served with the department for over six years, was reported missing Saturday after his kayak overturned near Bratonia Park. A witness observed Chaidez and his dog in the water but later saw only the dog near the vessel. The dog was rescued and is in good condition.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office, along with Wylie Fire Rescue, Lucas Fire Department, Princeton Fire Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and AMR, conducted extensive search efforts. Authorities deployed patrol units, drone operators, and a dive team, but high winds and submerged trees complicated operations. Dallas Fire Rescue provided additional marine support.
Search operations resumed at 8:30 a.m. Sunday and continued until Chaidez’s body was located at approximately 7:00 a.m. Monday.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office extended condolences, stating, “The Collin County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of Mr. Chaidez, a firefighter with the Dallas Fire Department.”
Bratonia Park remains closed to the public to support ongoing operations. Authorities have asked community members to avoid the area.
Two separate incidents claimed the lives of two men at Joe Pool Lake over the weekend. On Saturday, just after 11 a.m., a man later identified as 46-year-old Adrian Isiah McManus was swimming off a boat but failed to resurface. The Grand Prairie Public Safety Dive Team conducted a search and recovered his body. According to the Grand Prairie Fire Department, McManus was not wearing a life vest.
The next day, a 55-year-old man drowned at Joe Pool Lake after falling off a paddleboard, according to the Grand Prairie Fire Department.
At approximately 4:13 p.m., authorities responded to a report of a possible drowning. A witness stated that the man fell off his paddleboard and did not resurface. The Grand Prairie Public Safety Dive Team recovered the man’s body. He was not wearing a life vest.
The identity of the deceased will be released by the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office pending notification of next of kin.
Investigations into all four incidents are ongoing, and authorities continue to emphasize the importance of water safety measures, particularly the use of life vests.
These deaths come just days after two boaters, a male and a female, drowned in Lake Lewisville, as reported by The Dallas Express. The identities of the two victims have not been released at the request of the victims’ families.
In the United States, approximately 3,500 to 4,000 people die by drowning each year, an average of about 10 fatal drownings per day, according to the nonprofit group Stop Drowning Now. Males are at higher risk of drowning, with twice the overall mortality rate of females. Some 64% of black, 45% of Hispanic, and 40% of Caucasian children have few to no swimming skills.
The organization says everyone should learn the basics of swimming, floating, and moving through water, as well as how to perform CPR. Formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. In addition, kids and adults alike should always wear “coast guard approved life jackets in and around natural water bodies when boating, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding or any recreational water activities.”
This message was echoed by the Grand Prairie Fire Department, which issued the following statement: “As the lake season continues, GPFD strongly encourages the public to wear a life vest or an appropriate personal flotation device while near or in the water.”