Firefighters responded to a second water rescue call over the weekend at Grapevine Lake. Sunday, a man went to the hospital in critical condition after a near-drowning that happened while rescuers were searching for an earlier drowning victim.
Fire officials told NBC 5 they were already on the water with sonar equipment when they received the call for help just after noon near Rockledge Park. Witness Darsia Sambrano told our media partners at Telemundo 39, the man was swimming with his family when he went under. Sambrano said his children were desperately calling for their dad.
Teams were able to located the man in about ten feet of water at 12:24 p.m. Rescuers said he had a weak pulse as they rushed him to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine. The fire department said he was in intensive care on Sunday.
The near drowning marked the second call for help on the lake. Saturday, a man drowned after jumping off a pontoon boat. Teams located his body late Sunday afternoon after two days of searching.
“Unfortunately these two individuals did not have life jackets on,” said Grapevine Assistant Fire Chief John Sherwood. “It’s a reminder to us and trying to get the message out constantly that life jackets save lives.”
Grapevine offers free loaner life jackets, in memory of firefighter James McKenzie. McKenzie drowned while off duty in 2016.
The “Loan a Life Jacket" offers free life jackets on the honor system. Boaters and swimmers are encouraged to borrow the vests and return them at the end of the day. The jackets are offered from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, the high season at the lake.
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This year the program is expanding to offer free vests at five stations around the lake. The fire department is hosting fundraisers to help maintain the program.
