After reading several threads this summer about some severe emergencies that have happened on our lakes,
my question is "is it possible to dial 911 and get help"
I'm asking because I don't know, and naturally don't want to test the system.
But most all of us have a cell phone, and in a extreme situation would a 911 call work,..???

I would think so most likely they would dispatch the game warden...

Being a volunteer fireman, I have received calls that the dispatch gives us an area usually within a mile radius that the call came from if the caller is lost or their vehicle called in case of an accident. But the exact location is not given.

Channel 16 VHF distress Mayday X3.
Shoot off a flare--gets people's attention and helps with broadcasting your location
Dial 911

Wood County Game Wardens
KELLEY, KURT D 903-571-6805
SPITZER, DEREK C 903-571-6820

Always make sure you have a water tight well stocked first aid kit on the boat too!

Dispatch will be able to triangulate an approximate location off of cell phone towers or, run a trace on your phone if you can not give the location or are unsure of it.

The benefit of Wood County is that you have the Game Wardens, some of the best volunteer fire departments in East Texas, and the Sheriff's Office has a Marine Team.

Hopefully if you can use a phone, you can pinpoint yourself and give the coordinates (from phone or your graph) to the dispatcher.

You might not get the 911 operator that you need and have to be transferred once they figure it out. They can triangulate the call to an area. So the answer to your question is yes but not near as efficient as if you were calling from a landline. I know some areas of Fork, I have no cell service

Aa long as there is signal. Some areas on some lakes they dont work so well.

I have thought about a VHF radio but it was my understanding that it's only really monitored on the coast, not so much in inland lakes. Can someone provide more information?

I've noticed that several of the lake guides have VHF radios and appear to be monitoring them.

I'm not sure regarding Wood County; but it's common practice for the Sheriff's Department to monitor VHF 16.

The one I use

More of the lakes closer to larger cities have response teams setup for water rescue. I know Montgomery County employs a crew that is dispatched to Lake Conroe when something comes up. I would feel better knowing I was relying on these type agencies because more than likely they are familiar enough with the lake that they could respond simply by you giving them a cove or creek name (assuming you couldn't get GPS coordinates).

On Rayburn, game wardens would be notified along with a group dispatched out but they are volunteers (Jasper County Emergency Corp). The response time wouldn't be as prompt as a government agency that was sitting and waiting on a call. Slow response or not, we are still very lucky to have volunteers all across the state that are willing to come to our rescue when they are needed.

You can get latitude and longitude from your smart phone. My fil has used it as volunteer fireman for careflight

I am a Captain for a fire department on Lake Lewisville. We respond with other agencies that also surround the lake. I would like to say that in case of emergencies please do not hesitate to call. We do not mind going out and then being called off. It's better than being too late. Also you can give your coordinates off your graph as to your location that would be a big help. Don the life jackets early. At night flashing lights work better than sound devices. I usually ask dispatch to send me the callers number so that I can speak to the troubled craft directly.

For sure call, but do everything you can to get help from someone else out there. A good friend of mine spent 1.5 hours in a 43 degree lake Erie this spring. The coast guard finally got to him about 15 minutes before he would have been a gonner from hypothermia. They'll send folks, but it may not be quick.