It was an ordeal that played out Thursday afternoon with just tweets from emergency officials, but later made real when they posted the vessel and its bow with nothing under it.
The tweets came from Austin-Travis County EMS which serves the Texas capital region.
The first tweet of the incident described 911 calls reporting a boat "up against the dam" and callers adding that it "looks like it's going to go over the dam."
Multiple rescue assets from #ATCEMS & @AustinFireInfo responding to a water rescue 1-79 N PLEASANT VALLEY RD (14:36) 911 callers reporting a boat "up against the dam", "looks like it's going to go over the dam". Multiple people on board. More information to follow.
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) June 10, 2021
A follow up tweet about eight minutes later described what was happening to help the helpless boaters.
UPDATE water rescue 1-79 N PLEASANT VALLEY RD: Boat has been attached to another boat in the area by rope. Life vests are being lowered down to 4 occupants. Boat is partially over top of the dam. @STAR_Flight_TC has been assigned. Extrication planning underway. More to follow.
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) June 10, 2021
"Boat has been attached to another boat in the area by rope. Life vests are being lowered down to 4 occupants. Boat is partially over top of the dam. [Helicopter EMS] has been assigned. Extrication planning underway," the second tweet in a very descriptive thread stated.
Thirteen minutes later, it appeared the boaters were safe.
FINAL water rescue 1-79 N PLEASANT VALLEY RD: Boat & occupants have been pulled off the dam & in to open water by the @Austin_Police lake patrol boat. No occupants are requesting #ATCEMS. No further updates planned unless conditions change. No further information is available.
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) June 10, 2021
"Boat & occupants have been pulled off the dam & in to open water by the @Austin_Police lake patrol boat. No occupants are requesting #ATCEMS," the tweet said.
Then, with the danger no longer present, the Twitter feed showed how close the boaters came to a possibly life-threatening fall. The photo followed a quick video showing one boat towing the vessel in danger.
FINAL UPDATE water rescue 1-79 N PLEASANT VALLEY RD: Here is a look at the scene of the earlier rescue from #ATCEMS District Command 6. pic.twitter.com/qJ9RL1Q9V0
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) June 10, 2021
The photo of the rescue, in particular, has gotten a healthy amount of interactions on Twitter.
"Scary!!" one user replied.
It wasn't immediately known how the boaters drifted that close to danger.
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