WACO, TX — Friday, May 7, evening search crews pulled a body out of Lake Waco that they say matches the description of the missing 23-year-old jet skier that went missing Thursday night.
Saturday, May 8, authorities identified the victim as 23-year-old Daylon Dixon from Waco.
The speedy recovery is thanks to multiple agencies searching on the water and in the air.
Dixon was on a 2 seat jet ski with another woman when it tipped over.
The woman was rescued by a good samaritan on the water, but with nightfall, crews had to continue the now recovery mission early Friday morning.
Helping in the search, is Matt Kiel with the Texas Game Wardens who has worked with the department for 11 years.
"No it doesn't get easier, it's always difficult to get out here and do this and so we try and get out here and do everything we can to ensure that those loved ones are found and returned to their families," says Kiel.
Kiel says there's an average of 4 to 5 drownings every year in Waco, and crews believe the missing man was not wearing a life jacket.
"We tell everyone if you're wearing a life jacket you can come up. With that visibility, not having your jacket on it's almost impossible to dive in the water and find an individual that's submerged," says Kiel.
Because Lake Waco is such a large mass of water, helicopter crews are helping in the search from up high.
"It can save a lot of time, you can search a wide area very quickly, and you can be in direct communication via radio with the wardens who may be working the water or shoreline or both," says Dwayne Havis, the Lieutenant Game Warden and Aircraft Pilot.
Eyes in the skies that help spot things boat crews may miss.
All in an effort to bring resolution to families knowing their loved one may still be out there.
"Just be careful folks, and do yourself a favor. You may think you're a gung-ho person wear a life vest when you're on the water."
"Some people think you're a good swimmer but that's a long way across that lake to shoreline and it's a deep lake in Texas and most of them are pretty deep," says Havis.
