A 55-year-old Houston man drowned Sunday morning after a swim in Galveston, marking the fourth drowning in the area this year, according to officials.
Officials say a 55-year-old man from Houston drowned after going for a swim off the coast of Galveston on Sunday morning. This is the fourth known drowning in the area this year.
Galveston Island Beach Patrol says the man and his wife were boogieboarding near 31st Street and Seawall Boulevard at 8:30 a.m. when they got tired and tried to go back to shore. The woman made it back to safety, but she called 911 when she could no longer see her husband in the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Galveston Beach Patrol, Galveston Police, Galveston Fire Department, Galveston EMS, and the Galveston Fire Department all initiated an organized search immediately. Soon after 9 a.m., the guy was found on the west side of lifeguard tower 24, close to the beginning of the jetty. Rescuers pulled him out of the water and started CPR right there.
UTMB in Galveston confirmed his death at 9:49 a.m. after transporting him there.
The tragedy comes after several people have drowned in Galveston recently. A teen drowned and died while swimming near a pier early one morning, almost two weeks ago. In a no-swim zone near the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier on May 28, a 25-year-old Houston woman drowned. In early May, an Oregon man died after being pulled from the water near another pier.
Officials in charge of beach safety are still advising people to exercise caution near jetties, follow written swimming advisory notices, and keep a close eye on the surf, especially early in the morning or when there are few people around.
The victim, who is 55 years old, has not yet been named by the public.
