Capt. Jeremy Carter is new owner of TowBoatUS operations on Lake Lewisville & Lake Ray Roberts

Capt. Jeremy Carter aboard a TowBoatUS Lake Lewisville response vessel © Scott Croft

Ownership of a 24/7 on-water boat towing company with a big presence on Lake Lewisville and Lake Ray Roberts has changed hands. Capt. Jeremy Carter, a former member of a public safety swiftwater rescue team and IT professional, is the new owner of TowBoatUS Lake Lewisville and TowBoatUS Lake Ray Roberts. The local company provides towing, soft ungrounding, battery jumps and fuel drop-offs to recreational boaters and is part of a nationwide fleet of more than 300 locations and 600 red TowBoatUS response vessels. Joining Carter in the business is his wife and business partner, Wanda Carter.

Two former owners of the company, Robert Harris and Steven Moore, both remain as towboat captains. "We have a lot of familiar faces running the boats and look forward growing our new business," said Carter. For the new owner who originally hails from Indiana, purchasing the business was a chance to go after a dream to always want to live near and work on the water. "I traveled a lot for work and no matter where I went, the water always drew me in."

Why do boaters call for routine on water assistance? "Much of it is for engine or running gear failures, overheats, battery issues, the unexpected," said Carter. "Fluctuating water levels can also leave boats stranded. Folks get stuck in shallows on the 'nooks and crannies' back in feeder creeks. We do quite a few soft ungroundings."

BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for freshwater boaters and anglers for just $99 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs averaging $750 per towing incident, with some paying more. Included with Unlimited Towing membership are more than 25 Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) benefits and discounts, a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, free DSC-VHF radio registration, and more.

The company has five red TowBoatUS response vessels from 21- to 27-feet. Four are homeported on Lewisville with one on Ray Roberts, and all are emblazoned with TowBoatUS in white letters. The company's towing captains are all U.S. Coast Guard-licensed. Separate from BoatUS towing services, the company offers boat salvage and environmental remediation services.

The fastest way to summon assistance from TowBoatUS Lake Lewisville or TowBoatUS Lake Ray Roberts is to download the free BoatUS App, which connects boaters to the closest local towing captain in less than a minute. Additionally, the company can be reached at 972-757-5004, by hailing on VHF channel 16, or by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at 800-391-4869. More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Towing or by calling 800-888-4869.