HOUSTON – Polk County Sheriff's investigators are trying to determine what happened to a husband and wife while they were boating on Lake Livingston.
Sheriff's officials said the couple's deck boat was found abandoned Sunday night by a property owner.
“Everyone comes down to watch the sunset," said Tim Surratt, who found the boat.
Surratt has owned a piece of property along Tigerville Road on Lake Livingston for 15 years. He and his family were at the second home to celebrate his birthday.
“And when we got here, this yellow boat was abandoned,” Surratt said.
Surratt said he spotted the boat bumping into the rocks on the shore; no one was on board.
“I immediately knew there was trouble so I called 911; I called the Sheriff’s Office," Surratt said.
What really troubled Surratt wasn’t that the boat was abandoned, but that there were cellphones, a wallet, sunglasses, keys and neatly packaged life jackets still on board.
"Did the boat look like it had taken on any water or anything?" asked Channel 2 Investigator Robert Arnold.
"There was no water on the boat whatsoever," Surratt said.
In fact, the only outward damage appeared to come from the boat bumping into the rocks.
"Would that damage be enough to capsize a boat?" Arnold asked.
"Not at all, that’s all cosmetic," Surratt said.
Sheriff’s officials tell KPRC2 the boat is registered to Glenn and Wendy Swanner. The couple lives in Brazoria, but have a second home in Polk County.
"Awesome people, good neighbors, young, energetic and way too, too young for something like this to happen," said Linda Huebner, a neighbor.
Sheriff’s deputies said Wendy Swanner’s body was found by a jet skier Monday morning. She was positively identified by her father from clothing and jewelry on her body.
A man's body was found in the same area Tuesday, investigators said. It is unclear if the man is Glenn Swanner, but deputies said they believe it is him.
“It makes me very sad to think that, you know they went out for a beautiful boat ride, probably to catch the sunset and they never came back," Surratt said.
Sheriff's officials said they have no idea how the couple ran into trouble on the water. Surratt could only speculate that choppy conditions and currents possibly surprised the pair when they went for a swim.
Polk County Chief Deputy Byron Lyons said Wendy Swanner was not wearing a life jacket when she was found.
Lyons said foul play is not suspected.
Cause of death will be determined by the Jefferson County medical examiner's office.
