AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities recovered two bodies, one in Lady Bird Lake and the other in Shoal Creek, over the weekend after severe weather prompted water rescues.
The Austin Fire Department (AFD) said the two bodies recovered Saturday are believed to be those of missing victims who were swept away by the initial waters. As of Monday, their identities will not be released until their next of kin have been notified.
KXAN provided a timeline of events leading up to Saturday’s recalls.
At approximately 1 a.m. Saturday, four individuals experiencing homelessness were caught in rising water in a drainage ditch in the 5200 block of Burnet Road, AFD said. This is located in the North Loop/Burnet Road area, near where Hancock Creek, Dry Creek, and Shoal Creek meet.
The drainage system passes under the shopping center and eventually reaches Shoal Creek, AFD said.
According to first responders, two of the four people who were swept away were able to escape. The department said the man and woman who were swept away were still missing at that time.
At this point, crews began searching for the missing, covering terrain from Dry Creek and Hancock Creek to Shoal Creek, and down Shoal Creek to Lady Bird Lake. After 90 minutes, rescue teams ended the search, officials said.
On Monday, Austin police provided a statement regarding the two incidents in which the bodies were recovered.
Based on a preliminary investigation, “it appears that recent stormwater likely played a role in the deaths of both individuals,” APD said. APD also said neither case will be investigated as a homicide.
What happened later that day?
At approximately 10:30 a.m., the Austin Police Department said officers responded to a report of a body found at Lady Bird Lake.
The French Development Agency confirmed on Monday evening that a man had been recovered on Saturday morning in Lady Bird Lake.
Authorities recover a second body
Austin police said around 5:22 p.m., officers and paramedics with Austin-Travis County and AFP responded to a report of a dead person in Shoal Creek.
Police said they arrived at the scene and found a woman who police say was “obviously deceased.” Police said the woman was pronounced dead at 5:44 p.m.
Just before 11 p.m., authorities responded to a third water rescue in the 1600 block of Stephen F. Austin Drive. It was reported that One person was “surrounded by fast water in a tunnel.” Officials said.
Rescue teams used a personal flotation device and pulled them out of the water. Fortunately, the person was not injured.