Texas Game Wardens Investigating Fatal Sailboat Incident on Lake O’ The Pines
Aug. 7, 2017
UPDATED with new information and correction to victim ages
Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030
Note: This item is more than six years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
AUSTIN – Texas Game Wardens are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred Saturday afternoon on Lake O’ The Pines involving three East Texas teens on a Boy Scout outing. Preliminary investigations and observations indicates the vessel, a Catamaran sailboat, collided with an overhead transmission power line and those onboard may have been electrocuted as a result.
The three occupants of the vessel, ages 11, 16 and 17, were members of Boy Scout Troop 620 from Hallsville, Texas. All three were wearing personal flotation devices at the time of the accident.
Game wardens arrived at the Alley Creek area of Lake O’ The Pines near Avinger, Texas, shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday to find a Hobiecat Catamaran on fire with the sails up about 300 yards north of the power lines. Wardens discovered a 17-year-old male onboard and a 16-year-old in the water a short distance away. Both victims suffered severe bodily injuries and were deceased. A third unresponsive 11-year-old victim was located in a boat nearby and was being provided CPR by good Samaritans. He was transported to LSU Medical Center-Shreveport, LA, where he passed away earlier today as a result of injuries suffered during the accident.
The accident is being investigated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s statewide boating accident reconstruction and mapping team. Victim identification is not being released.