Woman dead after being pulled from Lake Austin, police say

AUSTIN, Texas - A woman is dead after a vehicle was found submerged in Lake Austin early Tuesday morning.

Austin police said just after 3:30 a.m., they received several 911 calls about someone screaming for help on Scenic Drive in West Austin.

When officers arrived, they found a vehicle submerged in the lake. They later learned a woman was believed to be inside, so rescue swimmers dove in to find her.

Police say the woman was pulled from the water at 4:06 a.m. and first responders performed life-saving measures, but the woman died.

A second person, who is believed to have been inside the vehicle with the woman, is OK and speaking to investigators.

The car went down one of the boat ramps at Walsh Landing. The car sank fast, which doesn't surprise Mark Lewis who launches his boat from this spot.

"Because this ramp dropped fast so that they as soon as they went in, it's the slope on it. You're going to be underwater before you know it. That's why I always set my brake, my truck when I'm launching, because if something pops out of gear or somehow my truck disengages, I'm in the water and fast, you can see how steep it is. It's a steep ramp," said Lewis.

When the car was towed away, there were no signs of any major damage.

If this is a case of another deadly wrong turn into an Austin waterway, why that mistake was made remains confusing for those who live near the boat ramp.

"I do think there's enough light. And I also think that the turns are short enough that it would be hard to make such a drastic mistake," said Kristen Butt.

Mark Lewis also noted how it takes a lot of maneuvering to reach the boat ramp.

"And then not only to maneuver in here, but then to drive into the water. I mean, I don't understand how they did it. It's we were just talking, my wife and I, because we come here quite a bit, and it's you have to know how to even get in here. And then that just draws straight into the wall. That's the saddest thing I've heard in a long time," said Lewis.

Austin police have not identified the survivor, or the woman who died in the crash.

Police believe this was an accidental death because there are no signs of foul play.

If you have any information call the homicide tip line at 512-477-3588.