Radiographic camera located intact in Gillespie County

The company that reported a missing radiographic camera has located the device intact. The camera, a piece of industrial equipment that contains a sealed capsule of radioactive material, was located just east of North River Road near Stonewall earlier today.

The camera, owned by Shawcor and commonly used in the oil and gas industry, went missing on Friday when a truck with a slide-in camper containing a mobile darkroom was swept away in the floodwaters of the Pedernales River southeast of Fredericksburg. The camper was located about 10 miles downstream, but the camera was not inside. 

The camera, a piece of industrial equipment that contains a sealed capsule of radioactive material. The material is sealed within multiple layers of protection, and the risk of exposure is very low. The camera, when found, was whole and contained in its protective steel overpack box with no release of radiation.

The Texas Department of State Health Services, which licenses radioactive materials and equipment, is investigating the incident to determine whether there were violations of state laws or rules and will take appropriate enforcement action.