Sheriff's Office removes body from Lake Travis creek

Scenic view from the Oasis on Lake Travis, May 13, 2023. (Courtesy Andy Freeman)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A body “matching the description” of a swimmer reported missing Saturday afternoon was found Sunday evening after a search by multiple agencies, according to a news release from the Travis County Sheriff's Office.

TCSO described the swimmer in its release as a 70-year-old man using a portable propulsion device and who was not wearing a life jacket at the time. A 911 caller told authorities around 2:40 p.m. Saturday that the man did not resurface after going underwater in a cove near Arkansas Bend County Park.

Saturday's search included elements of the TCSO Lake Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), Lake Travis Fire Rescue, STAR Flight and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). Per a social media post from Austin-Travis County EMS at 3:20 p.m., TCSO had upgraded the search to a recovery, which continued until approximately 9 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, TCSO continued to search the area, using remotely operated vehicles and sonar equipped with cameras, with assistance from TPWD and LCRA. The body was recovered at 5:51 p.m. at a depth of 29 feet, according to TCSO.

The agency said there is currently “no indication” that a crime took place. He declined to identify the body in the news release.