Officials with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are urging the use of life jackets after a 17-year-old boy drowned Sunday in Lake Conroe after falling out of his kayak.
Game Warden Stephen Ingram said the teen was kayaking in rough water near the FM 1375 bridge when a witness on the bank saw him struggling and heard him yell for help around 2 p.m.
“At some point, he fell off his kayak,” Ingram said. “He was holding onto the side of it, trying to get back into it. We had strong winds and rough water (Sunday).”
According to the San Jacinto River Authority, the lake temperature on Sunday was 54.6 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind was gusting at about 13 miles per hour during the day.
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Ingram said the teen was separated from the kayak before going under the water. After about an eight-hour search, rescue crews with the North Montgomery County Fire Department recovered the body.
The drowning was the first for the year on the lake.
In 2021, Lake Conroe logged one of its deadliest years with six fatalities — five drowning cases and one fatal boating wreck. Those numbers have declined since then, with two drownings in 2022 and none in 2023.
Ingram called the drowning tragic but said it was preventable if the teen had been wearing a life jacket.
“It’s that time of year where we get a lot of people boating,” Ingram said.
Ingram said many kayakers will have a life jacket with them, but it is tied to the kayak or in a compartment.
“Once the kayak gets away from them, it is a very difficult situation to get back to the kayak, especially in the wind,” Ingram said. “The lifejacket does you no good if you aren’t wearing it. If you aren’t wearing a life jacket, it is unfortunate these things happen.”