Duck hunters cling to trees for 13 hours after boat sinks in frigid Texas lake, cops say
Two duck hunters who hadn’t been heard from turned out to be stranded in a lake’s frigid waters for 13 hours after their boat sank, according to Texas cops.
The pair are experienced hunters from Louisiana, according to a Facebook post from Texas Game Wardens. Last week, they had been hunting for several days when their mud boat struck a tree in Bois D’arc Lake and sank around noon. Officials said the pair held onto trees in the lake to stay above water, which was 15 feet deep in the area.
When the hunters failed to contact their wives that day, they knew something was off. The women contacted Texas Game Wardens, which began a search with Texas Department of Public Safety Aviation, the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office and the North Texas Municipal Water District staff.
The hunters built a fire inside their Yeti cooler to stave off the cold, burning their duck decoys and wood from the trees around them. According to the post, DPS Aviation officials spotted the flames in the dark and directed rescuers to the hunters, who were hospitalized for severe hypothermia.
“We are thankful the men lived to hunt another day and thankful for the help of our partner agencies that made it possible,” the post stated. “Emergency response is always a team effort. Texas Game Wardens will continue to utilize available resources to respond to calls for service, including engaging with our partners at every turn.”
Construction on Bois D’arc Lake, located about a 115-mile drive northeast of Fort Worth, began in 2018. The lake serves as a reservoir for a nearby water treatment plant.
This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Duck hunters cling to trees for 13 hours after boat sinks in frigid Texas lake, cops say."
