Boy among those killed in weekend water accidents

FLOWER MOUND, Texas - Two people were pulled out of a North Texas lake in separate incidents over the weekend. Another 4-year-old drowned in a backyard pool.

The first incident happened Saturday at Grapevine Lake. Venkatramreddy Velma fell off a pontoon boat. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Game wardens and firefighters searched for him for hours with boats, jet skis and drones. His body was found Sunday afternoon in a part of the lake that’s about 10 feet deep.

“Obviously as we’re getting into summertime people are going to be spending more time around water and we encourage people to have a life jacket when they are in or around water, any type of water,” said Brandon Barth with the Flower Mound Fire Department.

On Sunday another person was pulled out of the same lake at Rockledge Park. That person too was not wearing a life jacket and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Then in west Arlington 4-year-old August Smalley he was found floating face down in a pool.

The boy’s father told police he had gone to sleep. His two children were also supposed to be sleeping. He later woke to find the boy in the water.

Police believe the drowning was an accident.