Man Presumed Drowned In Neches River

On May 14th, witnesses reported that they’d seen visitor John Depwe struggling to stay afloat in the Neches River near the Lakeview Sandbar day use area and that he’d then been swept downstream. A search was begun for him by the park and by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Fire and Emergency Services, but no sign of him was found. Depwe is now presumed to have drowned and the search has been scaled back.