Three men died when their boat capsized in Lake Lavon in Collin County over Father’s Day weekend.
Four men were boating in the lake when a strong storm passed over the water on Saturday, June 18, at approximately 8:45 p.m. Their boat capsized at some point during the squall.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office responded after receiving a call from the survivor who reported he had managed to get ahold of a tree near Brockdale Park and place the call.
Texas game wardens were able to rescue the man. It was then that authorities learned that the three other boaters were missing, according to NBC 5.
Local fire departments assisted the sheriff’s office and game wardens in searching for the three missing men, but the search crews did not find them until later. Two of the men’s bodies were discovered on Sunday. Search crews found the third missing man’s body on Monday morning, per WFAA.
The three deceased men were identified as Julio Bibiano-Gonzalez, 34, Jose Dominguez, 60, and Rafael Olea, 28. Authorities had not publicly identified the fourth man on the boat who survived as of press time.
Not one of the boaters had life jackets on, according to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. However, the sheriff’s office did not confirm if life jackets were on the boat or if alcohol was a factor in the fatalities.
“It’s devastating, especially on Father’s Day weekend,” said Erin McGill, a former local resident visiting family over the weekend, speaking with NBC 5. “I don’t know if they were fathers, but I can’t imagine being a member of the family just having to wait and see and hoping for the best.”