Mom, infant rescued by homeless man in canoe after crashing into Dickinson Bayou A young mother who lost control of her minivan and her infant found themselves in the waters of Dickinson Bayou on Thursday (1/1/2026). Officials said a homeless man who stays in a wooded area along the bayou's banks saw the crash and paddled his canoe out to retrieve the mom and her child. It was about 9:40 PM when the 22-year-old woman, driving east in the 1100 block of FM 517, lost control of her Dodge minivan. She veered across several lanes of traffic, drove down an embankment, through a parking lot and was unable to stop before her van went down the banks of Dickinson Bayou and into the water. Her 8-month-old child was secure in their car seat when the crash happened. Staff of a nearby store heard the crash and called 911. Meanwhile, a homeless man who has an encampment along Dickinson Bayou also heard and saw the crash, officials said. He jumped into his canoe and paddled out to the van, which was in water about 5 feet deep. He retrieved mom and child and, after bringing them to shore, handed the baby to an awaiting Dickinson police officer. The mother and infant were taken to UTMB Health’s League City Hospital. They had not suffered any significant or life-threatening injuries, officials said. Dickinson Police Department Detective Guadalupe Vasquez said the mom was either distracted or fatigued and struck the curb of the FM 517 bayou bridge, causing her to lose control of the van. That lines up with what the woman told police what led to the crash. Vasquez said there is no evidence alcohol or drugs contrubuted to the crash. A Dickinson Volunteer Fire Department crew launched a small boat and, with a tow truck operator on board, secured the van with chains. The van was pulled back to shore in an operation that took more than two hours.

Posted by i45NOW TJ Aulds at 2026-01-02 06:46:00 UTC