AUSTIN, Texas — Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) is preparing to station more medics near Rainey Street, following recent drowning deaths in Lady Bird Lake.
Community members have called for more safety precautions in the area after two men visited Rainey Street on separate occasions and were later found dead in the lake. The Austin Police Department (APD) has said detectives do not believe the men's deaths are connected.
Earlier this year, the City of Austin increased patrols in the area of Rainey Street and the Ann Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Austin police officers have been patrolling the entertainment district, while more park rangers have been stationed along the trail.
ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz sent a memo to the Austin City Council this week saying that his department is looking into starting a pilot program to station medics in the Rainey Street Historic District, near the Rainey Street Trailhead, this summer. Luckritz said considerations for the pilot include staffing during peak hours of pedestrian traffic and using Special Response Units (SRUs) to get to patients.
Loved ones of the drowning victims, as well as other community members, have also raised concerns about poor lighting in the area. Solar lighting has been added, with the City set to add cameras and permanent lighting later this year.
Luckritz said he hopes the summer pilot program will help determine what resources and response equipment in the area should look like going forward.