Father Drunk in Georgetown Double Drowning

Georgetown, TX - A double drowning involving a father and his 5-year-old son in Lake Georgetown on Father's Day has been ruled an accident.

Georgetown Police issued the results of their investigation into the drowning of Scott Douglas Hughes and his son, Ethan.

During a camping trip on June 19, 31-year-old Scott Hughes drove his car down the Cedar Breaks Park boat ramp and into Lake Georgetown. Hughes and his 5-year-old son, Ethan, drowned.

"We do know from talking to other campers, they were there, it was a normal camp, they set up a tent, they were cooking dinner, appeared to be a normal camp out with a father and a son and at some point decided they were going to leave, go home and that trip ended up in the lake," said Asst. Chief Kevin Stofle of the Georgetown Police Department on June 21.

Hughes blood alcohol content that night was .21, nearly three times the legal limit in Texas. Investigators have concluded that the drownings were accidental due to several factors including: Hughes' intoxication level, the fact that he was talking on his cell phone, and the other vehicle on the boat ramp that had its headlights facing Hughes. Police say that may have given him the illusion he was on a roadway.

Witnesses at the lake that night told police that Hughes drove the car at a moderate pace down the ramp and that it sank in 20 feet of water.

"We want every outcome to be a good outcome as far as rescuing," says Russell Lawhorn, acting Battalion Chief for the Georgetown Fire Department.

He has advice for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.

"One is not to panic,’ Lawhorn said. ’Two is, if you're going in there, try to break a window as early as possible."

He suggests carrying a small tool that can be used to shatter a window and hitting the lower corner of the window to break it. He says playing out the situation in your mind cannot hurt. In fact, it could save your life.

"Just be prepared. Ok, what am I going to do if the airbag deploys against me? Just knowing those different steps, am I going to be able to get the seatbelt undone?"

A few months before Hughes death he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. He left behind a wife and two daughters.