Houston woman drowns near Jamaica Beach

JAMAICA BEACH — A Houston woman drowned Saturday after she was pulled under by rough currents while on a sandbar during a nighttime swim.

Veronica DeLeon Jaure, 44, was with her family near the first beach access area at Jamaica Beach when she waded into the water about 9 p.m. Her son was supposed to join her in the surf, but he could not find his mother, Galveston Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said.

Members of the Galveston Island Marine Response launched a search for the missing woman, while The Jesse Tree Survivors Support Network provided comfort and assistance to family members, Davis said.

DeLeon’s body was found about three miles west of where she went into the water, Davis said.

It appears that DeLeon walked off the edge of a sandbar into a trench and into water that was over her head before she was pulled away by heavy currents, Davis said.

While the weather was pleasant most of the day Sunday, the surf was rough. Red Flag warnings were put out along the beaches about 2 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday proved to be the busiest day of the summer beach season, Davis said.

The beach patrol had 3,859 instances of moving swimmers from danger zones on Sunday, he said.

Life guards moved 4,563 swimmers during the holiday weekend.
There were 45 searches for missing children Sunday and 57 for the weekend. All were found safe, Davis said.

There also were eight water rescues, including a Sunday afternoon incident in which a man was able to make his way to shore safely as beach patrol lifeguards searched for him near San Luis Pass.