A fishing trip to Lake Brownwood ended tragically for an Odessa man Friday, according to officials of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Brown County Water Improvement District’s Lake Patrol officers received a report of an unoccupied boat that was floating on Lake Brownwood with its motor running, between Dominion Point and Thunderbird Bay around 2:57 p.m. Friday.

According to game warden Travis Allen, Lake Patrol officers secured the boat and identified its owner.  Shortly after the registered owner of the boat was determined, a search began for 45-year-old Lance Easley of Odessa which located his truck and trailer near a boat ramp.

Through social media, the officers and game warden were able to find where Easley worked and were able to contact his family.  The family indicated that Easley had gone on a fishing trip to Lake Brownwood alone, but that he was very familiar with the lake and had family locally in Brownwood.  The family contacted Brown County Sheriff’s Office and filed a missing person report on Friday.

Allen explained that a witness stated that they had heard Easley start the engine of the boat between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. on Friday.  Allen stated that there was no evidence that would lead investigators to believe that the boat had struck anything to cause Easley to be thrown from the boat.  The way Easley entered the water had not been determined, but it is believed he may have fallen into the water while the boat was stopped, as the motor of the boat was in neutral when it was located, according to Allen.

A routine search of the lake for a drowning victim was started immediately and side scan sonar was used in an attempt to locate a body, said Allen.  The search continued through the evening as long as possible and for another 15 hours on Saturday.  Three boats from Lake Patrol and four game wardens from Brown, Mills and McCulloch County worked to search the area.  They were aided by a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter that helped do an extensive two hour search of the area, said Allen.  Sunday, the search resumed at 7:45 a.m., and at 8:30 a.m. Easley’s body was found near Dominion Point.

“It was definitely an extensive effort.  We’re going to stay out there as long as we can to get a recovery (of a body),” said Allen.   “It’s good when we can help give the family closure, because it’s comforting when they know what happened, even if it isn’t good news.”

Brown County Justice of the Peace Mike Holder was called to the scene and pronounced the death.

Easley’s family stated that he leaves behind his parents, a fiancé and a 26-year-old son, a sister in Dallas and brother in Brownwood.  “We would like to thank the Brownwood Lake Patrol, Game Warden, DPS, and Sheriff’s Office in all their efforts,” said Jody Easley, his sister-in-law, on behalf of the family.