LAKE TRAVIS, Texas – Several boats sunk in Lake Travis on Saturday during a Trump boat parade.
Waters became rough along the parade route which caused several boats to sink “because they were too small for the waves being created,” said Robert Weiss, owner of Lake Travis Scuba.
The water conditions were unfavorable for some of the smaller boats, according to Weiss, who provided video of one of the vessels that sunk. “Other boats were small recreational boats that had probably too much weight at the front end.”
Weiss said diver Brian Waddell identified the location of one of the sunken boats on Sept. 7 around 10 a.m. using boat sonar.
Both Weiss and Waddell dove down to the site later that evening around 5:30 p.m. to hook up lift bags that allow the boat to rise to the surface before being towed.
Chris Riley, owner of Flag Ship Towing helped lift the boat before towing it away.
Weiss said it was important to get the boat out of the water quickly due to gas and oil that could leak into Lake Travis.
He said the boat is an older, limited-edition vessel that the owner had just refurbished. That owner is already getting electrical components replaced so it can get back in the water, Weiss said.
“The real message is - be prepared with the right kind of boat for the right kind of conditions,” said Weiss.
Watch video below of the boat being lifted and towed from the bottom of Lake Travis:
‘Several boats did sink’ during Lake Travis Trump boat parade, Travis County officials say