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Horseshoe Bay honors crews and dispatchers for Lake LBJ rescue
Summary
Council recognized Horseshoe Bay and partner agencies for a May 10 Lake LBJ rescue that saved 11 people aboard a disabled pontoon in severe winds; Engine 12 crew, Battalion 11 and Captain Ben Miller received unit and individual citations.
The Horseshoe Bay City Council publicly acknowledged the multi-agency rescue of 11 people from a disabled pontoon boat on Lake LBJ during severe weather on May 10.
Chief Doug Fowler described the incident: a pontoon with 11 passengers — three adults and eight children — lost power during a storm with winds estimated at 40 mph and 3–4 foot waves. Dispatchers at the Highland Lakes Regional Emergency Communications Center stayed on the line with a young passenger for the duration of the incident and assisted first responders. Battalion 11 and Engine 12 coordinated the response; Engine 12 helped remove passengers to the engine cab to warm and treat them, and Battalion 11 towed the punctured craft to 123 Applehead Island Drive.
Chief Fowler presented unit citations to Engine 12’s crew (Lieutenant Jason Blackman, firefighters Josiah Villal and Asa Oliver) and a Medal of Merit to Captain Ben Miller for choosing a larger vessel and using the Horseshoe Bay police boat to reach the drifting craft despite dangerous conditions. Chief Fowler and council members praised local dispatchers, regional partners and a rescued passenger, Jeff Walker, who assisted with the award presentations.
The council said the awards honored a coordinated response across dispatch and multiple agencies and underscored the importance of regional mutual aid and communications during severe-weather water rescues.
