Harris County dive team searches for man missing at Crosby park

Deputies rushed to Xtreme Off Road Park and Beach on Gulf Pump Road shortly after 12:15 p.m. Tuesday after a 33-year-old Houston man went underwater and did not resurface in a small lake on the property. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office sent its dive team to the scene, turning the recreation area at 1927 Gulf Pump Rd. in Crosby into an active search site as crews worked to locate him.

The lake where the man disappeared does not connect to the San Jacinto River that runs by the park, a detail that matters for families who may know the site for its river access and not realize there are separate water hazards on the grounds. The man had been swimming across the lake when he went under, and officials had not immediately said whether anyone saw the moment he vanished or what conditions may have played a role.

Xtreme Off Road Park and Beach draws visitors with wooded trails, camping spots, tiki huts, jet ski rentals and a boat ramp with San Jacinto River access across about 1,600 acres in northeast Harris County. That mix of off-road recreation and water activity has made the property a destination for riders, swimmers and boaters, but it has also made safety a recurring concern.

The park’s own rules require guests to show ID before entering. They also bar reckless driving, underage drinking and child drivers without an adult, and state that all children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Those rules have taken on added weight at a site that has seen repeated tragedy.

FOX 26 reported that eight people had died at the park since 2018, including deaths in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and two in June 2024. Prior reporting also described safety concerns and wrongful-death litigation tied to the property. In September 2024, deputies responded to another incident at the same park after an adult man helped two women in the water and then went under himself; his body was later recovered.

For Harris County families heading to swim spots this spring and summer, the search near Crosby is a stark reminder that even familiar recreation sites can turn dangerous in seconds. Water visibility can be poor, rescue equipment is not always close by and a routine outing can become a recovery operation before bystanders understand what happened.