Several boats sink at Trump parade on Texas lake

Despite the incidents, no injuries or deaths were reported

Boats partially submerged from the large wakes of a flotilla of supporters of US President Donald Trump, float in distress during a boat parade on Lake Travis near Lakeway, Texas, US. Reuters

Boats take part in a parade of supporters of US President Donald Trump on Lake Travis near Lakeway, Texas, US. Reuters

A boat is engulfed in waves from the large wakes of a flotilla of supporters of US President Donald Trump, during a boat parade on Lake Travis near Lakeway, Texas. Reuters

Boats take part in a parade of supporters of US President Donald Trump on Lake Travis near Lakeway, Texas, US. Reuters

Boats take part in a parade of supporters of US President Donald Trump on Lake Travis near Lakeway, Texas, US. Reuters

Boats take part in a parade on Lake Travis in Texas, US. Reuters

Boats take part in a parade on Lake Travis in Texas, US. Reuters

Boats take part in a parade on Lake Travis in Texas, US. Reuters

A boat parade in support of US President Donald Trump crowded Lake Travis in Texas on Saturday, generating waves and choppy waters that caused at least four boats to sink and others to crash into rocks, local officials said.

No one was hurt, they said.

“That was truly an exceptional number of boats,” said Kristen Dark, public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff's Office, whose deputies patrol the lake. “Several of the boats did sink.”

Lake Travis is a reservoir on the Colorado river that is a popular spot for boating, fishing, swimming and other recreational activities.

Mr Dark said additional officers had been sent given expectations that the Lake Travis Trump Boat Parade would increase the number of vessels on the water, but that they still received many distress calls.

“When they all started moving at once it generated wakes,” Mr Dark said.

The event had been advertised on Facebook, calling for boats of “all shapes and sizes” to participate and for owners to decorate their vessels in “patriotic colours and fly as many Trump flags as she can handle”.

Despite the incidents, no injuries or medical emergencies were reported, said Christa Stedman, a spokeswoman for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.