Denise Martinez (left) and Noel Vigil-Benitez (right) were among the three hunters found dead in a deep, gas-filled cistern in a field in Bastrop County early Wednesday morning.
Bastrop County Sheriff's Office
Three people are dead following a tragic incident in a private corn field in northern Bastrop County.
The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office posted a statement to its Facebook page detailing the deaths of Delvys Garcia, 37, Denise Martinez, 26 and Noel Vigil-Benitez, 45, who were found dead at approximately 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning at the bottom of a partially drained cistern. The three deceased were Florida residents, according to authorities, and were allegedly hunting hogs with a friend from Texas when one of their dogs disappeared into an "underground cistern partially filled with water," according to the sheriff's office.
The cistern—an underground reservoir used for storing liquids—was deep and filled with "strong fumes," according to authorities. It appears the three victims entered the hole in attempts to rescue the dog, and subsequently each other, only to be overwhelmed by the cistern. The fourth person—a local from Red Rock, Texas and a friend of the victims—did not enter the cistern and has yet to be identified by authorities.
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"One of the members of the hunting party ended up in the cistern, possibly attempting to rescue the dog," the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office wrote in a public statement. "It appears that 2 other members of the party entered the cistern to possibly rescue the first person, while a 4th member of the party went to his truck to summon assistance and call 911."
The department confirmed that the dog did not survive the encounter, and noted that rescue efforts to retrieve the bodies of those inside the cistern were greatly hampered by the presence of gas, which was determined to be hydrogen sulfide—a dense, colorless, highly flammable toxic gas that carries the strong odor of rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulfide can be manufactured artificially but also forms naturally when bacteria break down plant and animal material, particularly in areas with stagnant waters and low oxygen content, according to New York State Department of Health. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration lists hydrogen sulfide as "one of the leading causes of workplace gas inhalation deaths." Minor exposure to hydrogen sulfide can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, while higher levels of exposure can lead to shock, convulsions, coma and death.
"A decision was made to ventilate the cistern by removing the hydrogen sulfide gas and then removing the water," the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office stated. "Still, the integrity of the structure was in question. Efforts were made to dig beside the structure to allow access from the side at a level near where the 3 bodies had been located, but these efforts were soon abandoned since breaching the side would weaken the walls and make entry unsafe."
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After successfully ventilating the fumes and deploying a drone to survey the inside of the cistern, and investigator named David Newman volunteered to be lowered into the hole to extricate the victims. The bodies of the victim and dog were successfully retrieved around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Autopsies to confirm cause of death are forthcoming and an investigation into the events leading up to the three victims' deaths is being conducted, authorities said.
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August 11, 2023 at 04:45AM
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3 dead after falling into hole filled with gas in Texas cornfield - Chron
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