ORANGE, Texas — Family members of a man who went missing after a boating accident said their worst fears came true when his body was pulled from the water.
Game Wardens and dive teams found the body of WIlliam Davis in the Little Cypress Bayou on Monday afternoon. His loved ones said they miss him and were hoping for a better outcome.
“Well like last night, we stayed till dark, you know, and then we started again this morning,” Sheriff Jimmy Mooney said.
Investigators said Davis was behind the wheel of a single-engine boat that was speeding, when it hit a concrete piling under Interstate 10 on Easter Sunday.
Game Warden Captain Ryan Hall said crews used first responders and every piece of technology to find Davis.
“We also have the Port Arthur Fire Department with their equipment,” Hall said.
Ladona Gilmore was also on the boat when it crashed. She was taken to an area hospital in serious condition, but her condition has since been downgraded to stable.
After a boating accident in Orange County, Ladonna Gilmore was left with a cracked hip and a broken femur that had to be repaired with two rods. Gilmore also had to get plates and screws in her knees.
Gilmore had injuries to lower parts of her body that had to be stapled closed and injuries on her head that had to be stitched. Friends of Gilmore have started fundraising to help her with medical expenses.
How to help Gilmore with medical expenses:
- GoFundMe
- Neches FCU - account number 3081297
- Cashapp
“Boating accidents are, you know, they happen, unfortunately, every year,” Hall said “Our primary mission as game wardens is to enforce water safety rules to hopefully prevent those or at least minimize them."
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, from 2019 to 2020, the total number of boat accidents increased to 26.3%. As summer approaches, Sheriff Mooney is urging the community to be mindful as they take their boats on the water.
"Pay attention to what's going on around you and especially if it's a waterway that you're not familiar with, make sure you slow it down a little bit,” Sheriff Mooney said
So far, officials have confirmed speed was a factor in the crash.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we recieve more confirmed information.
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