Law enforcement is asking recreational boaters to stay out of the Neches River due to dangers associated with recent flooding and Tropical Storm Harvey.

On Sunday around 10:45 p.m., Jefferson County Dispatch received a call from a man stating that he was in need of rescue in the Neches River.

He told dispatch he believed he was five-to-six miles upstream from Beaumont’s Riverfront Park and that he had run out of fuel. The boater had tied off to a tree and soon after the call was made, phone connection was lost, according to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

First responders were able to track his phone to its last transmitted location and the coordinates were submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas Task Force Swift Water Rescue Team.

The Coast Guard Helicopter Search Team was able to locate the boat about a mile north of the salt water barrier. There were four people on board the boat. The TTF Swift Water Rescue Team deployed out of Orange County and was able to rescue all four of the passengers.

The Neches River is still a danger for boaters. The current is swift and turbulent. That, coupled with floating debris, makes it very hazardous.