HOUSTON, Tx — The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office has released a list of Bayou deaths in Harris County for 2025.
According to the data, 31 bodies found in Houston bayous this year died from various causes: accidental deaths, drownings, homicides, one suicide by gunshot to the head, and some cases where the cause remains undetermined.
The list, last updated on Dec. 10, 2025, offers more insight into how so many people died in Harris County bayous that year.
In 2024, 35 people were found dead in a Houston bayou, with 22 bodies recovered in 2023.
"In bayou-related deaths, the bodies often have extensive decompositional changes due to weather/temperature, submersion in water, and marine animal activity. This affects the ability to interpret findings at autopsy and might also interfere with toxicology results. This will usually lead to an 'Undetermined' manner of death. In addition, it might be unclear as to HOW the person ended up in the bayou (i.e., if they fell into the bayou vs. if they entered the bayou to go for a swim)," stated officials with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
To see the full list of bayou deaths in Harris County, click here: Bayou_Deaths_Fact_Sheet_12102025.pdf
