Search For Missing Swimmer Continues On Lake Travis

TRAVIS COUNTY, TX — The recovery search for a missing swimmer on Lake Travis resumed Sunday morning.

The Travis County Sheriff's Office dispatched two boats on the water Sunday, performing grid and sonar searches in the area where the swimmer was last seen. Divers met at 9 a.m. to discuss possible target locations and may be in the water within a few hours of that discussion, depending on safety factors, officials said.

Emergency officials continued their search into Monday with the use of sonar. A Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), which is like a small submarine with a camera in it, was scheduled to be launched in order to search throughout the rest of the day. Austin police department divers were expected to dive Monday afternoon in search of a body. The Travis County Sheriff's Office dive team was not expected to be utilized Monday afternoon, officials said, due to the extreme depths. Lake Travis has depths of more than 100 feet, officials noted.

The Texas Department of Transportation also is aiding in the search through the use of a an emergency helicopter to conduct aerial searches.

Late Saturday afternoon, a family member of the victim called 911 to report that a Hispanic male in his 50s was seen going under water. The man never resurfaced, according to the sheriff's office. Rescue efforts were conducted by multiple agencies but they were unsuccessful in finding the missing swimmer. Recovery efforts were suspended late Saturday due to darkness.

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