Woman caught by a wave while swimming in a restricted area drowns in Galveston A Houston woman drowned overnight Wednesday (5/28/2025) after she and some friends went for a swim in a restricted area, Galveston Island Beach Patrol officials said. Sadia Navaid, 24, and two friends went into the rough surf near the beach rock groin at 24th Street between the Historic Galveston Island Pleasure Pier and Murdoch's Pier when the trio was caught off guard by a large wave at about 12:40 AM, Acting Beach Patrol Chief Lt. Austin Kirwin said. Two people made it back to shore, but when they looked around, they could not find Navaid. One of her friends spotted someone on the Seawall and asked them to call 911. When a member of the Galveston Island Beach Patrol arrived at the location around 12:45 AM Navaid had been found and officers from the Galveston Police Department were performing CPR. Galveston Ambulance Authority took her to the trauma center at UTMB Health’s John Sealy Hospital, where she died at about 1:30 AM. Kirwin said it appeared that the three swimmers entered the water in the no-swimming area on the east side of the rock groin. Due to the early morning hour, there were no lifeguards on duty. Areas closest to the rock groins are off-limits to swimmers because the wave action often creates strong undertows and rip currents. There are also significant drop-offs near the rocks, posing a drowning hazard. Navaid is the second beachfront drowning of the year. On May 3, an Oregon man was swimming near 39th Street when he experienced difficulty and went under. A lifeguard who saw the man struggling to swim attempted a rescue, but by the time the lifeguard made it to the man’s location, he was unconscious. The man was taken to UTMB Health, where he died a few hours later.

Posted by i45NOW at 2025-05-28 23:12:19 UTC