Pro-Trump boats sunk during Texas lake parade
Austin: Several boats participating in a pro-Trump parade on Saturday boats sank, the Travis County sheriff’s office says.
No one was seriously injured, according to law enforcement officers who were at the lake.
Boat parades, such as this one on Fort Loudon Lake in Tennessee have become a popular method for Americans wishing to demonstrate their support for Donald Trump.Credit:AP
The lake west of Austin is known for being difficult to navigate at times, and large wakes could be seen during Saturday's boat parade in support of President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.
“We responded to multiple calls of boats in distress, several of them sank,” but there are no reports of fatalities or injuries and investigators have not determined how many boats sank on the lake near Austin, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Kristen Dark.
Dark said the cause was under investigation, but there was no indication of an intentional act.
“We have no reason to suspect foul play in any of these,” sinkings, Dark said.
Dark said weather conditions were generally calm and meteorologist Paul Yura with the National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio said there were were no storms in the area at the time and winds were generally 16km/h or less.
“The lake should be fairly navigable, without issue at those wind speeds," according to Yura.
Lake Travis is an approximately 7689 hectares impoundment about 19 kilometres north-west of Austin.
Numerous boat parades have been held by Trump supporters around the nation, and Saturday's event on Lake Travis drew hundreds.
It was not the first time that the boat parades have turned dangerous. In Portland, Oregon, a boat on the Willamette River sank last month as a Trump boat parade passed by.
In recent months, Trump supporters who own boats across the country have been meeting up to hold large political rallies on water.
McClatchy, AP