One dead after party boat carrying 53 people capsizes in Texas
Weather is thought to have triggered the incident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.One man is dead and another person was injured after a two-storey party boat capsized in Texas, according to authorities.
The boat is believed to have tipped over during a storm at 8.12pm on Lake Conroe in the town of Conroe, 40 miles from Houston. Fifty-three passengers were on board, along with crew.
Police officers, firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene, where many of the boat’s passenger’s ended up in the diesel-contaminated water.
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough published a statement on Facebook outlining the incident.
“Rescue crews were able to get everyone out of the water. Out of 53 passengers and crew 2 were transported to the hospital. One in critical condition and one stable,” he wrote in the statement about the incident on 14 August.
The man said to be in critical condition died, and was later identified as 80-year-old Karl Katzenberger. He was pronounced dead by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Another individual was taken to hospital in stable condition. The cause for the capsizing is not known, but authorities said weather was likely a factor.
“While weather is thought to be the cause of the capsizing, the exact cause has not been determined and the entire incident is under investigation,” Judge Keough wrote.
The remaining passengers were sprayed down by rescuers due to coming into direct contact with diesel before they were allowed to leave the scene.
According to reporting by CNN, the boat is named the Lake Conroe Queen. It was built in 1986 and has travelled as far as Louisiana on party cruises.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments