After witnesses reported seeing a woman in the fast current, rescue crews tried to look for her, but never found the woman.
HOUSTON — Houston firefighters have suspended their search for a woman who was seen struggling in Brays Bayou after crews were unable to locate her despite using drones and boats.
The Houston Fire Department says rescue teams were first sent to the bayou near Chimney Rock, where witnesses spotted the woman walking toward the water before she was swept away. HFD officials say they never saw the woman directly, but they did view cell phone video from a witness that showed her struggling to stay afloat.
Crews deployed drones to try to spot her from above, but that effort was unsuccessful. They then moved further downstream and launched boats near the Almeda area, but the current proved too powerful to navigate effectively.
HFD Capt. Raul Reyes described the difficulty crews faced on the water.
“Even the boats were having a hard time trying to navigate through this, so our rescue team is trained for something like this, the boats, they know how to operate the boat in conditions like this, so they’re professionals and they’re good, but it’s still a struggle with this kind of current,” he said.
Despite the challenging conditions, Reyes said crews haven’t given up hope entirely.
“Best case scenario, the person actually made it to the side somehow and was able to get out, but with all of the issues with the bayou, the current right now, the debris in the water, there’s so many different obstacles to go through there, we hope for the best.”
Fire officials are reminding the public to stay away from the water, especially when currents are running high, warning that once someone falls in, it’s almost impossible to get out. The search near MacGregor and Almeda has since been suspended.
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