5 Trump Boats Sank At Lake Travis, No Foul Play: Sheriff's Office

AUSTIN, TX — The Travis County Sheriff's Office released its official report this weekend after investigating a boat parade in support of the president on Saturday that resulted in the sinking of water vessels.

All told, five boats sank during the Saturday event, sheriff's officials said, three of them since towed out and two remaining submerged. Trump-supporting boaters had gathered at the popular watering hole to stage an aquatic parade of the type that has been replicated in other parts of the country. In so doing, the boats are decked out in flags showing support for Trump.

But almost immediately after the local boat parade began at noon this past Saturday, the Travis County Sheriff's Office wrote in an advisory emailed to Patch on Sunday, emergency officials started to receive distress calls from boaters.

Previous coverage: Several Boats Sink During Lake Travis Trump Parade In Texas

The first distress call came in at 12:15 p.m., according to the sheriff's office, and the last at 1:53 p.m. "The distress calls varied and included: boats taking on water, stalled engines, capsized boats and boats sinking," sheriff's officials wrote. In all, the sheriff's office responded to 15 distress calls, and received three additional reports of boats taking on water from a local towing company, officials wrote in their emailed advisory.

"Three were towed out and two remain submerged," sheriff's officials wrote. "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."

Luckily for the distressed boaters, the sheriff's office had bolstered its lake presence in anticipation of large crowds at the aquatic political rally. Sheriff's spokesperson Kristen Dark said the lake patrol unit was fully staffed and operational at the time, and deputies had been dispatched to assist with traffic control and respond to emergency calls.

Sheriff's officials stressed no foul play involved. Instead, it was the sheer number of boats in proximity to each other that created conditions leading to the boats' sinking, according to sheriff's officials. Weather conditions on Lake Travis were calm that day. But when the large number of boats began moving together, the sheriff's spokesperson said, ensuing wakes generated large waves in areas where the vessels were densely gathered.

What's more, strong storms immediately preceding the gathering had added water volume to the lake — a downpour that likely changed the dynamics of the lake's currents given the added liquid. The water level at Lake Travis on Labor Day measured 662.42 feet — less than 20 feet below the full pool level of 681 feet.

The upshot: "TCSO has found no evidence of foul play associated with any of the incidents," sheriff's officials wrote.

Dubbed the "Lake Travis Trump Boat Parade," the event was organized on Facebook, and more than 2,600 people marked themselves as having attended.

Lake Travis is 64 miles long and approximately 40 miles of it is in the sheriff's office jurisdiction, officials noted. The popular lake has hundreds of private docks, more than 40 marinas and several county parks.