A 39-year-old Houston man drowned Sunday near Galveston, becoming the sixth drowning victim this year. Authorities said rip currents may have contributed to the tragedy and urged beachgoers to remain near lifeguard stations.
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The 39-year-old Houston man who tragically drowned Sunday evening close to the Galveston shoreline sadly marks the sixth drowning on the island this year, as reported by the Galveston Island Beach Patrol.
At approximately 6:45 p.m., two beachgoers noticed a man floating face-down in chest-deep water near 14th Street and successfully brought him to shore, according to Beach Patrol Chief Austin Kirwin. “It was evident that they observed an issue, prompting them to intervene and return the person to safety,” Kirwin informed Chron on Monday.
Onlookers promptly started providing first aid as the Galveston Fire Department and EMS teams arrived to continue the resuscitation efforts. Paramedics transported a man to the University of Texas Medical Branch hospital, where doctors later declared him dead.
Earlier that afternoon, family members alerted authorities about the victim's missing status. Officials reported that his mother had her last conversation with him just two hours prior to his discovery.
According to Kirwin, the lifeguards faced challenges in reaching the victim due to the specific location. “If you examine a map, we had a lifeguard stationed at 10th Street and another at 17th Street, and this individual was essentially located right in between them,” he stated. “That’s roughly a four-block span; it’s a considerable distance.”
Galveston has reported its first drowning since June 22. Kirwin observed that the island generally experiences six to eight drownings each year.
Initial findings indicate that the individual might have encountered a sudden rip current, a perilous and erratic water occurrence. “It comes from the shapes of the sand underneath,” Kirwin stated. “When the sand is relatively calm and we encounter a rush of water energy, that water must seek a route … it creates a rip current through the sand and subsequently flows back out.”
Despite the water looking serene earlier in the day, authorities had elevated beach safety flags from green to yellow prior to the incident, signaling possible dangers. Kirwin noted that circumstances can shift rapidly. “Increased wave action and energy, as observed yesterday, can lead to the sudden emergence of flash rip currents in different areas along the beach,” he stated.
The chief emphasized the importance of being cautious while enjoying the beach, even when the surf appears mild, and recommended swimming only in designated areas supervised by lifeguards. “Remaining near lifeguard towers that are staffed provides swimmers with the greatest opportunity to prevent unfortunate incidents,” Kirwin emphasized.
Officials are actively looking into the situation.
