An off-duty Grapevine firefighter drowned Saturday morning in Grapevine Lake near Oak Grove Park.
James McKenzie, 30, died while trying to swim to shore from his new boat, authorities say.
The firefighter had recently acquired the boat for his family and took a friend out on the lake Saturday, Deputy Fire Chief Mark Ashmead said.
He anchored the boat in the middle of the lake, and he and the friend tried to swim to shore. The friend made it, Ashmead said, but McKenzie did not.
"His friend turned around, and he was nowhere to be seen," he said.
Grapevine 911 was alerted shortly before 10 a.m., and a dive team recovered the body about 20 feet from shore at 12:30 p.m.
A firefighter and paramedic, McKenzie was with the department for just shy of four years. His shift mates at the department responded to the incident.
"They're grieving, as any family would," Ashmead said. "We're dealing with it and, with the help of others, taking care of the business of the day."
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