A boat crash on Lake Austin on the morning of October 11, 2015 took the lives of Shawn Hurwitz Jennifer Walley. Three others, who have not yet been identified, were also injured in the boating accident. Facts from the investigation to date seem to indicate that the boat the deceased and injured were in was traveling at a high rate of speed when it collided with a barge near the bank of the lake. Early reports indicate that only one person was wearing a life jacket at the time of the boating accident and that the barge that was struck did have safety lights. The fact that the barge was on Lake Austin at all has become an issue for Austin residents. Apparently, barges such as the one at issue are bared from being on the lake due to restrictive covenants, but the covenant was amended to allow this barge for purposes of building a dock. Also of note is that unlike many area lakes, Lake Austin does not have a no-wake zone within 50 feet of the shore. The investigation into the cause of the boating accident is on going.
