TEXAS CITY, Texas – Search crews returned to the water Monday morning as they continue searching for 17-year-old Nathan Lowery, who disappeared after an inflatable raft deflated and drifted into Galveston Bay during an early morning fishing trip near the Texas City Dike.
According to Texas EquuSearch, Nathan and his 16-year-old brother launched an inflatable raft near the north side of the Texas City Dike shortly before sunrise Saturday. The brothers planned to spend the morning fishing when their trip took a dangerous turn.
Case Manager Mark Edwards said the raft began losing air shortly after they got on the water.
“Yesterday morning just before first light, a young man and his buddy went off here in a raft. They were going to go fishing, and evidently the raft began to deflate,” Edwards said.
As the raft drifted farther from shore, strong south winds pushed the brothers deeper into Galveston Bay.
“Once they got clear of this landmass blocking that south wind, the wind really picked up out there and pushed them way out into the bay,” Edwards said.
What happened on the water
Officials said both brothers eventually ended up in the water after becoming separated from the raft. They floated on their backs while waiting for help.
The U.S. Coast Guard responded and rescued the 16-year-old brother. Nathan has not been found.
During Saturday’s search, the Coast Guard located the empty raft about 15 miles away near Baytown, giving investigators an idea of how far the winds and currents carried it.
Why this search has been difficult
Multiple agencies, including Texas EquuSearch, TEXSAR, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard, are working together to search the bay.
Edwards said crews are using three boats, two jet skis and about 19 searchers to cover the area.
“Our efforts are going to concentrate on Skyline Drive based on wind and current conditions, and we’re going to keep grid-searching the water,” Edwards said.
Unlike other water searches, Edwards said investigators are dealing with conflicting information about where Nathan entered the water and which direction he drifted.
“It was dark when they drifted way offshore, and we’ve got conflicting reports that are giving us a hard time,” Edwards said. “The building blocks for finding missing people are the last known location and the direction of travel. All of our information is sketchy, which has forced all of us to grid search nearly the entire bay.”
Officials stress the importance of life jackets
As crews continue searching, Edwards said he hopes this case reminds people to wear life jackets whenever they are on the water.
“I can’t tell you how many kids we’ve seen out here running around in kayaks and play toys with no life jacket and nobody’s watching them,” Edwards said. “Life jackets are where it’s at. We have never recovered anybody without a life jacket.”
Family asking for prayers
Nathan’s family declined to speak on camera Sunday and asked for privacy while search efforts continue.
Edwards said their focus remains on finding the missing teenager. “The family would really appreciate some prayers,” he said.
Nathan was last seen wearing a royal blue T-shirt and dark gray shorts.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Texas City Police Department or Texas EquuSearch immediately.
KPRC 2 will continue following the search and provide updates as new information becomes available.