HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Sandcastle Days is returning to South Padre Island in October. The annual event is a family-friendly celebration featuring a weekend packed with sand sculpture exhibits, live music, vendors, and beach activities. Sandcastle Days 2026 will get a head start on Monday, Sept. 28 to welcome artists for a group sand sculpture. [...]

The body of missing 59-year-old kayaker William Raney of Midland was recovered Tuesday after he was last seen near Cameron County Beach Access No. 6 following a multi-agency search effort.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A kayaker who was reported missing over the weekend on South Padre Island was recovered on Tuesday by Cameron County Park Rangers. A search for the missing kayaker was initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday afternoon near Cameron County Beach Access No. 6 after the kayaker reportedly disappeared offshore. [...]

Crowds packed South Padre Island on Labor Day, bringing a late-summer boost to local businesses as visitors flocked to the beach to close out the season.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Cameron County authorities suspended the search for a man who disappeared while kayaking off South Padre Island after receiving an alert on Saturday afternoon near beach access point number 6. The operation lasted six hours without finding the paddler. They ask anyone with information to call emergency services immediately.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its six-hour search for a kayaker who went missing off South Padre Island on Saturday. According to U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Edward Wargo, the agency received a report of a missing kayaker at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday and conducted a search for six hours. [...]

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, together with Cameron County rangers and beach patrol, halted a six‑hour search for a missing kayaker off South Padre Island after covering 168 square nautical miles. The effort began Saturday around 4:30 p.m. when beachgoers reported a kayak about 400 yards offshore; the empty vessel remained visible but the paddler was not found. The search was suspended pending further developments.

Texas Game Wardens and Coast Guard crews are stepping up water patrols across Cameron County, South Padre Island, and Port Mansfield for Labor Day weekend.