Politics
Lake Travis: Several Boats Sink at Trump Supporters Parade in Texas
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Reuters
The uneven water was likely caused by the large number of ships moving close to each other.
Several boats sank in a lake in the US state of Texas during a parade in support of President Donald Trump in the November elections, officials said.
Authorities say the choppy water was likely caused by the large number of ships moving close together on Lake Travis, near the state capital Austin.
The images showed boats carrying Trump campaign flags maneuvering at close range.
The media reported that people had to be rescued from the water, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
The event, called Lake Travis Trump Boat Parade, was hosted on Facebook and over 2,600 people indicated that they attended.
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Reuters
More than 2,600 people said they attended the event.
Image copyright
Reuters
The event was organized by supporters of President Trump on Lake Travis.
According to Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kristen Dark, an investigation has begun and there is no evidence of any willful action.
“We have responded to numerous calls from boats in distress, some of which have sunk,” she said. “We had an incredible number of boats on the lake today … When they all started moving at the same time, there were significant waves.”
The incident happened around 12:00 (17:00 GMT) on Saturday, Labor Day weekend in the United States. The event page said that boats were encouraged to move at 10 miles per hour (16 km / h).
Paul Jura of the Austin / San Antonio National Weather Service told The Associated Press that there were no storms in the area during the parade.
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