BAYTOWN, Texas — Two women were rescued from the San Jacinto River Sunday, but a man who tried to save them didn’t survive.
The drowning happened at Xteme Offroad Park and Beach in Crosby. We spoke to one man who was there and was able to pull one of those women to safety.
“I pulled her towards me and just told her I got her,” said James Edwards, who jumped into action when he saw what was happening.
Edwards became emotional as he recalled the incident on the San Jacinto River.
“I never realized how dramatic that drop off is right there,” he said.
Edwards and his wife were with friends on their buggy at the park in Crosby when suddenly, it appeared someone needed help in the river.
“I just took off and ran in the water," he said.
That's when he saw a young woman struggling to stay afloat and sprang into action, getting her safely to shore.
“Asked her if she was okay and she was just thanking me and hold holding, you know, hugging me," he said.
Edwards saw another woman pulled out the river and he felt relieved, thinking everyone was safe, but he quickly learned another man didn't make it out.
“A high and a low,” Edwards said. “Like really quick, you know. You just got to remember somebody lost, you know, a son, a friend."
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, a man's body was recovered in the river. The man drowned attempting to rescue the two women who were struggling.
A lieutenant with the sheriff's office dive team shared photos in a tweet with a message, saying “The San Jacinto River may appear calm, but its depths and underwater conditions can be misleading and dangerous."
The post urged swimmers to be cautious and to wear a lifejacket if they’re not strong swimmers.
Around this same time last year, three separate incidents took the lives of two adults and two children in this area.
For Edwards, Sunday's incident is something he won't forget.
“If you see somebody in danger, just help,” he said. “I mean, we're all human beings."
We reached out to Xtreme Offroad Park and Beach for comment on Monday, but as of this posting, hadn’t heard back.