Chenault ventured out in a flat-bottomed aluminum boat to check his trot lines Monday evening and never returned. The thunderstorms that rolled through the area Monday night are believed to be a factor in his death.
Searchers found his boat, with the motor still running, Monday night at a dock. Several agencies worked in the search, including the Department of Public Safety, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Burnet County Sheriff's Office and Marble Falls Emergency Management Services.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported that boating accident deaths were down in 2009 compared with the year before. 2008 saw a spike in such incidents.
TPWD statistics showed that 207 boating accidents on Texas public waters last year caused 139 injuries and 38 deaths, compared with 272 accidents, 175 injuries and 62 deaths in 2008.
However, one-boat accidents are a continuing trend, including boats that capsize, run aground, collide with fixed or floating objects, or boaters that fall overboard.
Game Warden Maj. Jeff Parrish, the state’s marine safety chief, says there are a few simple rules to safety on the water.
“Staying safe while boating is simple as one, two, three,” Parrish said. “First, wear a personal flotation device. The new inflatable jackets are lightweight and comfortable, and they save lives. Second, don’t drink and boat. Third, take a boater education course.”
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