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June 13, 2004
On Sunday evening at 5:30pm, SMART responded to
area between
Vetter
Park and
Dudley
Johnson
Park off Stage
Coach road near Kyle to search for a missing swimmer. According to
witnesses at the popular park, which is more commonly referred to as
5 mile dam, Sergio Varela arrived at the park with his cousin about
2:30pm Sunday afternoon to swim in the
Blanco
River. The
river was exceptionally swift due to the recent flash flooding which
struck the central
Texas area. According
to witnesses, Varela was swimming in the rapids and was pulled
downstream before disappearing below the water at 4:50pm. The Hays
County Sheriff’s Department, San Marcos EMS, and the Kyle Fire
Department responded to the scene. When Varela was not located,
SMART Divers were called to assist with an underwater search of the
Blanco
River. SMART
initially put 3 divers in the water performing diagonal patterns
from shore line to shore line when Kyle Fire Chief Glenn Whitaker,
wearing a life jacket and scuba mask, saw the body in an eddy near
shore. Divers were directed to the area and Varela’s body was
recovered at 6:35pm in 8 feet of water, 20 feet from shore, and 350
feet down stream from where he originally went into the water. Kyle
justice of the peace, Justice Beth Smith arrived on scene after the
recovery and pronounced Varela dead shortly after 7pm.
Varela is
from
Mexico and
arrived in
Austin two months ago to
stay with friends and family. He is survived by his wife and two
young daughters who reside in
Mexico.
SMART members who participated in the recovery included Don White,
Ian Rosen, Mark Welch, Tammy Moseley, John Moseley, Kathy Misiaszek
and Dan Misiaszek.
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