HARDIN COUNTY, Texas — Hardin County officials are outlining safety tips after a regular Tuesday turned into a rescue mission for a missing Kountze kayaker.
On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, two women were kayaking on Village Creek in separate kayaks when both overturned. At this time, it is unclear what caused the kayaks to capsize.
One of the kayakers was able to make it to shore and flagged down a nearby hiker in the wildlife sanctuary.
Search and rescue crews searched for hours Village Creek. The Hardin County Sheriff's Office, Silsbee Fire Department, and Game Wardens assisted with the search.
"A lot of times when you are working a potential drowning case, you have an eye- witness to tell you. I saw a person go under and they never resurfaced, that gives you a pretty good starting point search wise. In this particular case, we didn't have that," Hardin County Sheriff Mark Davis said.
The 34-year-woman from Kountze was found after walking several hours to an oil well location at E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary.
Davis says during the hours-long search, they had to call it for the night due to the safety of the first responders.
But the firefighters with the Silsbee Fire Department wanted to take one last look.
"Were able to find some footprints in the sand and as it worked out they were able to follow those to an oil well location. To seek some shelter, knew that someone would come there eventually," Davis said.
The woman was found unhurt, but exhausted, according to officials.
"Village Creek is a dangerous place that current it shifts the sandbars that sand always shifts. There's a lot of logs that are down from what we learned this afternoon the fire department both were having a hard time navigating through their kayaks," Davis said.
Sheriff Davis says he doesn't yet know if the women were wearing life vests, but he urges everyone that's out on the water to wear a vest for their own safety, even if you are an experienced swimmer.
He also says to travel in large groups and have a plan ahead of time, in case things go wrong.
"A great ending to what could have been a tragedy," Davis said.
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