Two young sisters, ages 3 and 5, tragically lost their lives over the weekend after a boat carrying their family capsized on Cedar Creek Lake in Henderson County, Texas.
The heartbreaking incident occurred on the evening of Sunday, June 22. Authorities say the boat, which was carrying 10 adults and two children, lost power and overturned due to strong winds and being overloaded.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse confirmed that emergency crews—including sheriff’s deputies and the Tool Volunteer Fire Department—responded quickly to the distress call.
“There were numerous people on board,” Sheriff Hillhouse told PEOPLE. “The boat lost power and capsized because it was overloaded and the wind conditions were rough on Cedar Creek Lake.”
He added that the two young girls were tragically caught underneath the boat as it sank and were unable to escape in time.
According to Fox affiliate KDFW, the group had been returning to a family-owned waterfront home when disaster struck.
“The lake can get extremely rough very quickly,” Hillhouse told local ABC affiliate KLTV. “The adults were able to jump into the water and swim to shore, but the children didn’t have that chance.”
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