UPDATE: Body Pulled From Lake Pflugerville Likely Missing Kayaker

PFLUGERVILLE, TX — A body believed to be that of a missing kayaker who was swept away in a storm three days ago was recovered from Lake Pflugerville early Wednesday morning, city officials said.

The body was pulled from the lake at 6:23 a.m., Pflugerville spokeswoman Maggie Holman confirmed. The Pflugerville Police Department is awaiting positive identification from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, she added.

On Sunday, June 9, at 6:46 p.m. the Pflugerville Police Department received a call about a potential drowning at Lake Pflugerville. As severe weather blew through, a female in her 20s in a kayak was carried into deeper water. The kayak is believed to have blown away, officials said, and has yet to be recovered.

The Pflugerville Police Department conducted the search with assistance and support from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Texas Search and Rescue (TEXAR), Pflugerville Fire Department, Austin Police Department, Jonestown Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the American Red Cross.

Lake Pflugerville and its surrounding trail were reopened to the public at noon on Wednesday following the discovery of the body.

From June 11:

PFLUGERVILLE, TX — The search for a missing kayaker at Lake Pflugerville who went missing after Sunday's storm continues with the full arsenal of recovery efforts, a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

"We’re still in recovery mode, and are using all resources available to find the missing kayaker," Maggie Holman, the city's public information officer, said in an email. "Thank you to our partner agencies that have been hard at work with us for the past two days with boats, divers, helicopters and cadaver dogs. We will continue our search until she is found."

Just before 5:30 p.m., the recovery effort was halted for a third day as darkness set in: "The search and recovery operation has been halted for the day, and will restart tomorrow morning," Holman wrote in a subsequent email while thanking the American Red Cross and those providing food (presumably for emergency crews) and the support of community members.

Cadaver dogs, a helicopter, sonar-equipped boat and divers armed with underwater cameras reportedly were among the tools being used to recover the woman's body. As recovery efforts continue, Lake Pflugerville, including the trail, remains closed, Holman added.

Related stories:

Pflugerville Kayaker Feared Drowned After Storm

Police ID Lake Pflugerville Drowning Victim

Police received a call just before 7 p.m. on Sunday about a potential drowning at Lake Pflugerville as a strong storm accompanied by strong winds swept through the area. The missing kayaker, a woman in her 20s, reportedly was swept away into deeper water, police said in a press advisory at the time. Some two-and-a-half hours after the incident was reported, officials said they had shifted their efforts from a rescue operation to one of recovery, meaning a search for a body.

Joining local law enforcement and fire officials in the search are crews with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Jonestown Police Department and the Travis County Sheriff's Office Dive Team, according to the Pflugerville Police Department, Holman previously told reporters.

Three others have drowned at Lake Pflugerville since the reservoir was built in 2005 as a source of drinking water:

• On May 14, 2018, the body of Cesar Rafael Peña Villastrigo, 23, of Austin was found after a 2-day search that ended at around 4:15 p.m. The man had gone underwater about 50 feet from the north shore entrance to the lake along the 18000 block of Weiss Lane.
• Noe Camacho, 19, of Austin drowned on June 19, 2009, while swimming with friends, according to reports.
• On Nov. 22, 2013, a city employee discovered a Chevrolet sedan floating near the lake’s boat ramp, as reported by local media at the time. A woman's body was later found in the car’s back seat, and law enforcement officials ruled out foul play as a factor.

Completed in 2006, the 180-acre Lake Pflugerville has become a favored family playground, according to a municipal website. The lake's Wikipedia entry notes that pumps are used to flow water through a 16-mile pipeline to the reservoir from the lower Colorado River. Its maximum depth is just under 40 feet. Since its completion, the lake has lured visitors with its seven fishing piers, swimming sites an jogging trails while attracting fans of canoeing, kayaking and wind surfing. A ban on motorized power boats at the lake adds to its appeal among many aquatics fans.