Drowning Victim Recovered from Belton Lake

The remains of a man who drowned in Lake Belton Wednesday morning have been recovered.

The body of 48-year-old Thomas Franz Buss was found near Leona Park just off Highway 36 by a Morgan’s Point diving crew at 12:50 pm. He was brought to shore at 1:17 pm and pronounced dead at 1:25 pm.

A witness at the scene stopped a Bell County Sheriff’s Deputy around 9:20 am after seeing Buss fall from his boat, and emergency medical crews rushed to the park along with Parks and Wildlife personnel and the Morgan’s Point Police Underwater Recovery Team.

A life jacket was found aboard Buss' boat, but he was not wearing one when he was found. This is the second drowning in Belton Lake this year. 17-year-old Kentrell Jordan Chandler of Temple drowned on May 17 at Rogers Park while trying to swim across a cove.