Drowning prevention and water safety tips from Harris County Sheriff's Office

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- There's a portion of the San Jacinto River in northeast Harris County that has become notorious for drowning deaths. It's a stretch from the Lake Houston Dam to Highway 90, that's traditionally been referred to as Banana Bend.

A lieutenant from the Harris County Sheriff's Office told ABC13 that the department responds to more drownings in that area than they do anywhere else in the area.

Lt. David Jasper said there have been three drowning deaths here this year. That includes a 14-year-old girl and her 38-year-old father who drowned on Father's Day.

"She slipped and fell in the water," Jasper said. "He went in to rescue her, and they both wound up drowning."

Jasper added that they had six drownings in this stretch of the river in 2023. That included a 53-year-old man attempting to swim from the river to the shore.

A young brother and sister also drowned in 2023 while their father was packing up their car.

"I think what makes it dangerous is the amount of people, their ability to swim, alcohol consumption, and there aren't lifeguards on duty," Jasper explained.

Jasper also explained how people in the water don't know how deep it actually is due to its murky color.

Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Darrell Bailey added that the river's current also poses a great danger.

"That's the thing you can't account for," he said of the current.

The department's advice for staying safe starts with wearing a life jacket.

"We have yet to recover anybody wearing a life jacket," Jasper said.

Jasper and Bailey also recommended not going into the water alone, watching your alcohol consumption, and knowing the river's depth can change quickly.

Jasper estimated that 90% of drownings could be prevented by following common-sense practices such as those.

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