Man Who Drowned At Lake Travis Identified

AUSTIN, TX — The Travis County Sheriff's Office on Monday identified the man who drowned at Lake Travis over the weekend.

Emergency crews were called to the lake on Sunday at around 8 p.m. amid reports of an unconscious man they later pulled from the lake. Despite life-saving measures, the man later died at the hospital. The victim was identified on Monday as Juan Maldonado, 46, of Cedar Park.

Lake patrol deputies quickly arrived at the scene where Maldonado was in distress after going underwater. Crews pulled him back up and placed him on a rescue boat where they performed life-saving steps in efforts to resuscitate him until the arrival of Austin-Travis County EMS medics.

Despite heroic efforts to save the man's life, he was pronounced dead at 8:39 p.m. The man was not wearing a life jacket at the time of his drowning, officials noted. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Sunday, according to sheriff's officials, and the final results are still pending toxicology tests.

Maldonado is the fourth person to die on Lake Travis this year. Two other missing swimmers have not been found: Manuel Salas, 53 of Elgin who went under never to resurface on May 5, in an area of Lake Travis near Mansfield Dam Park and Rachel Kathleen Scott, 25 of Round Rock who was reported missing between Starnes Island and Volente Beach on May 19.

Others who drowned there in recent weeks have been retrieved from the lake's substantive depths:

• Diego Humberto Cerda-Acosta, 30 of Austin was reported missing in the water near Bob Wentz Park on May 27, 2018. His body was recovered the morning of May 28.
• Ricardo Sierra Martinez, 27 of Mexico was reported missing in the water near Bob Wentz Park on June 10. His body was recovered the morning of June 12.
• Luke Fashaw, 36 of San Antonio was reported missing in the water in the Devil’s Hollow area on July 28. His body was recovered the same day.

From Aug. 19:

AUSTIN, TX — A man drowned Saturday evening at Lake Travis, officials said.

At 8 p.m., the Travis County Sheriff's Office assisted the Austin Fire Department in pulling the unconscious man from the waters of Lake Travis, officials said in a press advisory. The Hispanic male in his 40s was transported by boat to Mansfield Dam Park where CPR was performed. But life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced deceased at 8:39 p.m. on Saturday.

The sheriff's office investigation into the death is is ongoing, officials said, adding they would provide additional details as they are made available. However, the sheriff's office did not stage a customary press conference in the wake of the incident.

Related story: Agonizing Wait for Wife Of Boater Claimed By Lake Travis

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