Alcohol a factor in G'town drownings

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - The drownings of a father and son in Georgetown on Father's Day weekend were ruled accidental on Wednesday, likely the result of the Scott Hughes drinking too much alcohol and mistaking a boat ramp for the roadway.

News of the June 19 drowning deaths Hughes and his 5-year-old son, Ethan, on Lake Georgetown rocked the community with questions about why he had driven their car into the lake late on the first night of a father-son camping trip.

An autopsy report released earlier this month showed Hughes' blood-alcohol content was .21, nearly three times the legal limit for driving.

 "Georgetown Police have concluded the investigation into the drowning of Scott and Ethan Hughes that occurred June 19, 2010," read a press release issued Wednesday. "On August 25, 2010, Justice of the Peace Judy Hobbs issued an autopsy report listing the cause of the drowning deaths of both Scott and Ethan Hughes as accidental.

"The toxicology report showed a BAC for Mr. Hughes as 0.21, almost three times the legal limit.

"Investigators have concluded the drownings were accidental due to several factors involved in the late night crash, which include Scott Hughes' level of intoxication, the fact that he was talking on his cell phone while driving, and the other vehicle that was on the boat ramp with its headlights facing Scott's vehicle, which may have given Scott the illusion he was on a roadway."

"Scott Hughes' toxicology report did not show anything else out of the ordinary. The toxicology report for Ethan Hughes was negative for any foreign substances."