Side-scan sonar and divers probed eddies and drop-offs below Lake Livingston Dam on Monday.
COLDSPRING, Texas — Search crews on Monday expanded their grid south of Lake Livingston Dam after recovering two teenagers who drowned when a kayak capsized Sunday evening on the Trinity River; the father who leapt in to help remained missing.
The effort drew units from San Jacinto and Polk counties, Texas State Park Police and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team. Officials said winds and release-driven turbulence made the river unpredictable overnight, forcing a pause after dark and a restart at 7 a.m. Monday. By midmorning, boats dragged the channel while divers rotated through low-visibility dives near the Camilla boat ramp, a concrete launch that becomes a focal point during river emergencies.
Deputies said the call came after sundown for an overturned kayak carrying two boys, ages fourteen and fifteen. Witnesses told investigators the craft flipped in choppy water. The father of one teen entered the river to try to pull them out and vanished. Recovery teams located both boys Sunday, ending the rescue phase while the search for the father shifted to recovery. Standing near the ramp, San Jacinto County Sheriff Sam Houston called the incident “an unimaginable tragedy” and thanked neighboring agencies and volunteers who worked through the night.
Family members identified the younger teen as fourteen-year-old Jake Poff, a freshman at Coldspring-Oakhurst High School. His mother, Julia Poff, said the boys were not wearing life vests and that her estranged husband, identified by relatives as Billie, went under while trying to reach them. Authorities had not officially released the father’s name or the second teen’s identity by midday. The county medical examiner is expected to confirm identities and causes of death once next of kin are notified, a process that can take a day or more.
The Trinity below the dam is a popular spot for anglers and paddlers, but currents can shift quickly with releases. Residents said the Camilla area looks calm from shore but hides drop-offs and swirling eddies. Sheriff’s logs show prior rescues and drownings along the same stretch in recent years, particularly during weekends and holidays. On Monday, deputies established a staging area near the ramp and kept family members and onlookers back from the shoreline while boats swept the main channel.
Investigators documented witness statements and plotted a probable drift path to guide sonar runs. A decision on scaling back or continuing operations was expected later Monday, depending on visibility, current and any new sonar targets. Officials said any formal determination, including autopsy timing and release of names, will follow standard protocol once the recovery is complete. No criminal allegations had been announced as of Monday, and the case remained classified as a river fatality with a missing person recovery in progress.
As the morning wore on, relatives gathered under shade near the parking area. “Jake was silly and always tried to help out,” his mother said between calls with family. A volunteer boater described the water as “grabby,” with swirling lines of foam that marked hidden changes in depth. Game wardens at the ramp said they would maintain a boat and dive presence into the afternoon and provide another update if conditions allowed.
By early afternoon, officials said crews would continue probing sonar hits along the outside bend below the spillway. The next expected development is confirmation of the father’s recovery and identification, which could come as soon as late Monday if visibility improves.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2025.