BELTON, Texas (KXXV) — A 78-year-old Houston man drowned at Belton Lake after he and his wife became separated from their boat while swimming near Morgan’s Point Resort. Witnesses described the scene as heartbreaking.
- A 78-year-old man from Houston drowned at Belton Lake after he and his wife were separated from their boat while swimming near Morgan’s Point Resort.
- Eyewitnesses described the scene as emotional and frightening.
- The tragedy has prompted officials and boating experts to remind the public about the importance of life jackets, proper equipment, and water safety precautions.
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“It’s very sad… very sad and scary situation because I know that we were just in the water shortly before that,” said one woman who witnessed the incident, Lisa Mooney.
What started as a beautiful day on Belton Lake ended with tragedy.
A boating incident Sunday afternoon left one man dead and a woman hospitalized.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened around 1:30 p.m. near Morgan’s Point Resort.
On the scene, they were able to locate two people who were separated from their boat while in the water; others nearby were removing the man, and rescuers were removing the woman.
“We heard sirens and we kept hearing more and more so we knew something had gone wrong,” said Mooney.
25 News spoke to one woman who was at the lake when the incident occurred. She says it was terrifying to witness.
“I could see they were doing chest compression on someone, and they pulled that boat up and continued doing chest compression all the way up into the ambulance,” said Mooney.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that resuscitation efforts were made, but sadly, the male later succumbed to his injuries.
This was an incident our neighbors tell 25 News they’ll never forget.
“I just knew it wasn’t good, I felt very sad and shocked. That was the first time I’d ever seen a drowning accident,” said Mooney.
Local boat companies are urging our neighbors to prioritize safety while on the water.
“You always want to have your safety gear in the boat. We need a life jacket for everybody in the boat. We should never leave a boat empty, so all parties should never be in the water at the same time. Your throwables and everything should be accessible if you are going to be in the water, it shouldn’t be something you have to dig for,” said Operations Manager at Texas Boat World, Josh Brown.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Morgan’s Point Resort Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens and the U.S. Army Corps Park Rangers.
On Monday afternoon, the Bell County Sheriff’s Office identified the man who drowned at Belton Lake as Charles Edward Dickson, a 78-year-old from Houston, Texas.
The victim and his wife had been boating and had left the vessel to swim. The current of the lake pulled the boat away from the couple. While trying to swim to the boat, the drowning occurred.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Game Wardens tell 25 News the investigation into this incident is ongoing.
