A boat crash on Eagle Mountain Lake sent two children and one adult to the hospital Sunday evening, according to the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Officials said the crash happened around 7 p.m. when a boat carrying five people slammed into a dock.

Two children were taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth with serious injuries. An adult was transported to Harris Methodist Hospital Downtown.

The extent of their injuries has not been released. The crash remains under investigation.

Labor Day safety tips

The incident comes as Texas Game Wardens and local fire departments are warning about a rise in water-related incidents and fatalities across the state this year.

According to data up to June 30, Texas Parks and Wildlife reports 59 deaths — 38 drownings and 21 boating-related. That’s a 75% increase in boating-related deaths compared to last year.

Jeremy Seese, division chief for the Lewisville Fire Department and supervisor of its dive team, said many of those tragedies can be traced back to a lack of preparation and poor decisions on the water.

“Enjoy yourself. But, you know, we want people to be responsible with the choices that they make,” Seese said in an interview with NBC 5 in July.

He explained that alcohol, not wearing life jackets, and failing to supervise children are among the most common factors in deadly wrecks.

“When you’re on a boat, we have a lot of people that jump off of boats and they get in the water because they want to cool off, and that’s understandable,” Seese said. “But first, anchor your boat. And then second of all, before you get in the water, have a life jacket on, no matter how good a swimmer you are.”

Seese said Lake Lewisville has already seen six drownings this year. Last year, at this point in the summer, crews had responded to 12.

“The CDC says that there’s 4,000 in the United States alone last year that have died due to drowning. Another part of that statistic is that 85% of those could have been preventable. So it boils down to making good decisions when you’re out at the lake and enjoying yourself,” he said.

Capt. Clay Martin of Lewisville Fire said dangerous water conditions make rescues extremely challenging.

“Everyone gets out here thinking this is their swimming pool at home, and even if they’re good swimmers, the lake doesn’t care,” Martin said. “We’ve never pulled anybody off the bottom that’s been wearing a life jacket.”

Bobby Gladu, president of the North Texas Search and Recovery Dive Team, said part of the concern about area lakes is the murky and dark water.

“We do a lot of our training here in Lake Ray Hubbard, and when we went to the bottom, I was like 25 feet deep, and it is black. Sunny day, no clouds in the sky, black underwater,” he said. “So, if you lose a child four feet under the water, you are not going to see them. So, that is why it is super important to have the life jackets on.”

A 2020 video from the Lewisville Fire Department showed how hard it is to see in the water.

Officials with TPWD urge North Texans heading to lakes this Labor Day weekend to take simple precautions that could save lives:

Safety Tips From Texas Parks and Wildlife

  • Wear a life jacket: required for children under 13, strongly encouraged for all.
  • Use your engine cut-off switch: It’s the law and can help prevent serious injury.
  • Never operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol: Penalties include fines and license suspension.
  • A boater safety course is required for anyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1993, operating certain vessels.
  • Personal watercraft operators must wear a life jacket, follow the 50-foot rule, and stay off the water after sunset.
  • Be weather-aware, communicate your plans, and avoid overcrowding your boat.

They urge people, if they see something unsafe and illegal, to report it to Operation Game Thief (OGT). There are rewards up to $1,000 for tips that lead to the conviction of those who violate wildlife, fishing, or boating laws.

With dove season opening Sept. 1 in the North and Central zones of Texas, game wardens will be monitoring for hunting and boating violations alike over the holiday, but they need the public’s help. If you witness dangerous or illegal activity on the water or observe wildlife crimes in the field, report them anonymously through Operation Game Thief (OGT), Texas’s wildlife crime-stoppers program.

Tips that result in convictions of those who violate wildlife, fishing or boating laws can earn rewards of up to $1,000.

How to Report Illegal Behavior

  • Text your tip: Text the keyword TXOGT and your tip information to 847411
  • Use the Texas OGT App: Available on iOS and Android
  • Call anonymously: 800-792-GAME (4263)

TPWD asks that people include pictures and videos to provide as much information as possible. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

People should always call 911 for emergencies.