Authorities provide more information on the bodies recovered Saturday

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities recovered two bodies, one in Lady Bird Lake and the other in Shoal Creek, over the weekend after severe weather prompted water rescues. 

Both bodies recovered Saturday are believed to be the missing victims swept away from the initial water rescue, said the Austin Fire Department (AFD). As of Monday, their identities will not be released until the next of kin is notified.

KXAN provided a timeline of events leading up to the recoveries Saturday. 

AFD said around 1 a.m. Saturday, four individuals experiencing homelessness were caught in rising water in a drainage culvert in the 5200 block of Burnet Road. That’s in the area of North Loop/Burnet Road, near where Hancock Creek, Dry Creek and Shoal Creek come together. 

AFD said the drainage system goes under a shopping center and eventually into Shoal Creek. 

According to first responders, two of the four individuals washed away were able to escape. However, a man and a woman who were swept away were still missing at the time, the department said.

At this point, crews began searching for the missing people, covering grounds from Dry Creek and Hancock Creek to Shoal Creek, and down Shoal Creek to Lady Bird Lake. After 90 minutes, rescue crews closed the search, officials said. 

On Monday, Austin Police provided a statement regarding the two incidents where the bodies were recovered. 

APD said that based on a preliminary investigation, “it appears that recent storm waters likely played a role in both deaths.” APD also said that neither case will be investigated as a homicide. 

What happened later that day

Around 10:30 a.m., the Austin Police Department said officers responded to a report of a body found in Lady Bird Lake.

Monday evening, AFD confirmed that a man was recovered Saturday morning in Lady Bird Lake.

Authorities recover a second body

Austin Police said around 5:22 p.m., officers, Austin-Travis County EMS medics and AFD responded to a report of a dead person in Shoal Creek. 

APD said they arrived on scene and located a woman who police say was “obviously deceased.” The woman was pronounced dead at 5:44 p.m., said police.

Shortly before 11 p.m., authorities responded to a third water rescue in the 1600 block of Stephen F. Austin Drive. It was reported that one person was “surrounded by swift water in a tunnel,” said officials. 

Rescue crews used a personal floatation device and hoisted them out of the water. Thankfully, the person was not injured.