Stormy waters cause Trump boats to sink on Texas lake during political display

LAKE TRAVIS, TEXAS – Stormy waters caused Trump boats to sink on a Texas lake during a political display this weekend, authorities say.

At 12:00 pm on Saturday, September 5, 2020, a boat parade in support of President Trump got underway on Lake Travis. In anticipation of large attendance, Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) Lake Patrol unit was fully staffed and operational. TCSO also had deputies assigned to assist with traffic control and to respond to emergency calls.

Almost immediately upon the parade going into motion, TCSO began receiving distress calls from boaters. The first call came in at 12:15 pm, and the last distress call associated with the parade came in a 1:53 pm. The distress calls varied and included: boats taking on water, stalled engines, capsized boats and boats sinking. TCSO responded to 15 distress calls and received three additional reports of boats taking on water from a local towing company.

According to reports received by TCSO, five boats sank during the event. Three were towed out and two remain submerged. All the distress calls were resolved without injury or loss of life. Most boats that were taking on water, or even fully submerged, were able to be hooked up and towed before they sank to the bottom of the lake.

Weather conditions on Lake Travis were calm. When the large number of boats began moving together, the wakes generated large waves in areas where participating boats were dense. TCSO has found no evidence of foul play associated with any of the incidents.

Lake Travis is 64 miles long and approximately 40 miles of it is in TCSO’s jurisdiction. It has hundreds of private docks, over 40 marinas and several county parks.

A -pro-Trump rally on a Texas lake encountered stormy

TCSO responded to multiple calls involving boats in distress during the Trump parade on Lake Travis. Several boats did sink.