RIVER FATALITY
Bernardo Peña Jr., 46, of Needville, died on the San Marcos River on Saturday, Sept. 13. Peña was visiting his daughter, who attends Texas State University, and had been floating the river with her, his wife and family.
Texas Game Wardens and local medical emergency personnel responded to River Park Road in San Marcos, where they determined Peña to be unresponsive, as family members and good samaritans performed CPR.
According to a statement from Texas Parks and Wildlife, responders continued lifesaving measures while Peña was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. Texas Parks and Wildlife did not have information on if the family had rented tubes from nearby tube rental facilities.
Eyes of the San Marcos River Outreach Coordinator David Zambrano was leading a cleanup crew when they encountered the scene.
“We were just downstream of the rapids known as Broken Bone, which opens onto a small lake just upstream of Dons Fish Camp and TxState Tubes, when we heard screaming. We initially dismissed it as drunken tuber shenanigans, until we saw multiple persons around a body, screaming for help, and for someone to call 911,” Zambrano said.
One of the volunteers jumped out of their kayak and began to administer CPR until EMS arrived.
“Tubers present tried to pull the unconscious man up the steep bank, but were unable to do so. When EMS arrived, they also realized they wouldn’t be able to pull him to solid land, and instructed those that were able to assist to push the unconscious man onto a tandem kayak that members of my team had abandoned in the fracas, and instructed me to ferry him approximately 100 [yards] downstream to a small private dock. There, he was lifted bodily up to the first level of the dock while still on the kayak, and then further uphill to solid land,” Zambrano said.
“Our thoughts are with Mr. Pena’s family and friends during this difficult time,” Texas Parks and Wildlife Public Information Officer Maggie Berger said.
A Go Fund Me was started by Bernardo’s wife. Donations can be accepted at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-pena-family-in-memory-of-bernardo.
