A man's kayak was found Tuesday. Today they found the man.

The Caribbean Sea
Erik Tee
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KWTX is reporting that officials from several agencies were searching Lake Belton for a missing Bell County jailer. They recovered the man's body Tuesday afternoon. His name has yet to be released.

The search began as a "welfare concern" about the man, who, it seems, was in his 50's.

His kayak was found near BLORA.

We are not having a good start to the lake season. First, the rain is closing down parks and beaches, and now someone has lost their life on the lake. It is being insinuated that there might be more to the story than a simple accident on the lake. Hope it's not true, but at least the man has found peace.

Drowning is a fear of mine. I was diving off a yacht in North Dakota one time. (Yes, I will pause here for you to picture what a yacht in North Dakota might look like. Done laughing? O.K.) I ended up curling underneath the yacht. O.K. fine, it's a boat then! Good grief.

To say I had a panic attack is an understatement. Somehow I managed to feel my way to the side of the "boat" and was able to surface before I ran out of air. Never dived again. Ever. Anywhere. But on a happy note (too late), the family was laughing at me. It seems a chubby kid almost drowning is humorous. At least, funnier than a yacht in North Dakota. And people wonder why my sense of humor is so bent.

What I'm getting at is that it's easy to find yourself in a situation in which you could potentially drown. You probably have similar memories, so you know what I'm talking about.

Whatever the case was with the missing jailer, it's probably a good idea to review some safety tips for kayakers. Even if you're not going out on a boat, you should still do the smart thing and wear a life vest. Always let someone back on shore (a relative, friend, co-worker, hell, even a park ranger) know where you'll be going and how long you expect to be out. Basically, let someone know your plans before you go. This way they know when and where to look for you if something goes wrong.

Lake season is upon us. Be safe out there, folks.

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