4 days ago
Over 3 dozen bodies found in, around Lady Bird Lake since 2022: data
The Brief
Another body has been found in Lady Bird Lake, potentially that of a teenage paddleboarder
Over three dozen bodies have been found in and around the lake since 2022, data show
AUSTIN, Texas - Another body has been found at Lady Bird Lake.
What we know
The body was found around 7 a.m. by a paddleboarder near Riverside Drive and South Lamar.
Police say that a person called 911 to report that they saw the body near the Butler Hike and Bike Trail.
While there is currently no positive identification, Austin police believe the body is likely that of a teenage boy who went missing on Sunday.
A preliminary investigation into his disappearance shows that the teenager was with his family on kayaks and paddleboards in the lake. The teen got out of his kayak to stand in shallow water; however, investigators say that he was not wearing a life jacket and had unknowingly been standing near an underwater shelf.
Underwater shelves are a sudden drop-off in the lake, and the teen either stepped or slipped off and did not resurface.
His kayak was later recovered with his life jacket and backpack still on it.
The body found in the lake was wearing the same clothes and looked to be the same demographic as the missing teen, but identification is still pending, says APD.
What they're saying
"Another paddleboarder was here out on Lady Bird Lake and notified us that it appeared that an individual was deceased and floating on Lady Bird Lake," said Corporal Jose Mendez of the Austin Police Department.
By the numbers
Data obtained by FOX 7 Austin shows that at least 38 bodies have been found in or around Lady Bird Lake since 2022.
Of those, 30 were male, and just over 60 percent were between 30 and 49 years old.
Only two were teenagers, including the body found on Tuesday.
In the past three years, the causes of death have been mainly attributed to accidental drownings. Second is suicide, as well as drug overdoses, and natural causes. Only one case has been ruled a murder; about half a dozen of these cases remain unknown.
Dig deeper
The Austin Police Department continues to reiterate that there is no reason for them to believe these deaths are connected.
Police have also found no reason to suspect foul play, and there were no trauma wounds on the corpse of the most recent body.
The Source
Information in this report comes from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt and data obtained by FOX 7 Austin.
