Abstract: At 4:00 p.m. on July 26, 2023, several employees were removing debris from the sandbar on the north side of a pier beneath the Brazos River Bridge along FM 529 in Hempstead, TX. Four employees were walking across a shallow area from the sandbar towards the east bank. The distance from the sandbar to the east bank was approximately 150 feet. The depth of the river along the shallow area was approximately 3 feet deep. The employees were not wearing personal flotation devices. As the employees were crossing the river, the current swept them under water. Three employees were able to recover and make it to the bank. One employee did not surface and drowned.