Man rescued from Lake Tawakoni after over 3-hour search

RAINS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – A man taking part in a local fishing tournament this weekend had to be rescued from Lake Tawakoni on Saturday after his boat hit a stump and ejected him into the water.

According to the Texas Game Wardens, Rains County game wardens got a call about a boater missing on Lake Tawakoni at around 7:15 a.m. on Saturday. A man was reportedly fishing in a local tournament when his boat hit a stump and sent him into the lake.

Boat crews searched the lake for over three hours until the game wardens saw the man in their binoculars and quickly pulled him from the water.

“Thankfully, the man was wearing both a life jacket and his boat’s emergency engine cut-off switch. After spending more than three hours in the water, those two pieces of safety equipment helped save his life,” the Texas Game Wardens said. “Always wear a life jacket and use your engine cut-off switch. They only work if you use them.”

Game wardens were assisted in the search by the the Tawakoni Volunteer Fire Department, the West Tawakoni Police Department drone unit, the Tawakoni South Volunteer Fire Department, Air Evac 67, Flight For Life, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office drone team and the Emory Fire Department’s drone team.