The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has taken over the recovery operation of the boyfriend and girlfriend who went missing Friday on Lake Conroe.
Around 6 p.m., a 26-year-old woman fell off an unanchored pontoon boat near Ayers Island and her 24-year-old boyfriend jumped in after her, according to the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office. The pair — neither of which were wearing a life jacket or knew how to swim — went missing for 10 minutes when calls came in, The Courier reported Saturday.
A second man jumped in the water to try and help them as the pair struggled and a passerby on a boat helped him out of the water. The missing man and missing woman were part of a five-person boat rented off the lake, according to Precinct 1.
None of the others on the boat were wearing life jackets or knew how to swim, Pct. 1 Cpt. Joe Sclider said Saturday.
The search was suspended a little after 10 p.m. Friday night and resumed Saturday morning, according to Precinct 1. Parks and Wildlife has not released any updates since taking over the investigation, but spokeswoman Megan Radke confirmed game wardens were on sight Monday afternoon searching for the missing pair.
Authorities have yet to release the names of the victims. They are reportedly from the Houston area.
The current recovery effort parallels the search for a drowned victim from two months ago. A 36-year-old Magnolia man on March 13 went missing near Ayers Island after jumping off an unsecured boat and swimming without a life jacket.
Following four days of searching, the man’s remains were found through the use of side-scan sonar. The technology can detect objects on the bottom of the black water lake, including fish-spawning beds, tires and sunken vessels. It is being used by both constable’s patrol deputies and game wardens to try and find the missing couple, Sclider said Monday.
Friday’s drownings mark at least the third and fourth deaths on Lake Conroe this year. This fatality rate is approaching last year’s total five drownings, which were four more than in 2019.
An increase in drownings appears to come as the popular lake has generated more activity during the pandemic.
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Search for drowned couple on Lake Conroe continues for fourth day - Houston Chronicle
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