Texas hog hunters were gassed in a septic tank while trying to rescue their dog that had fallen into the cistern
- The bodies were recovered from an underground cistern in a Texas cornfield
- The three had been hunting pigs in the area when their dog fell into the cistern
- All died from the deadly levels of hydrogen sulfide gas inside
Three pig hunters have died in an underground tank filled with sewage gas after one of them tried to save his dog after it fell into the cistern.
The bodies of Delvys Garcia, 37, Denise Martinez, 26, and Noel Vigil-Benitez, 45, and a dog were pulled from the tank in a field on the outskirts of Austin, Texas.
Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook said the hole had an opening about four feet wide that contained eight feet of water and hydrogen sulfide gas.
Sheriff Cook said one of the men went into the cistern to rescue the dog, which was described as a bloodhound, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Clothing and boots from the other two hunters were found near the hole, suggesting they removed them before jumping in as well, Cook said.
The bodies of Noel Vigil-Benitez (pictured left) and Delvys Garcia (pictured right) were recovered by rescue teams on Wednesday
A GoFundMe has been organized to help Denise Martinez’s family (pictured here) and has already raised $20,000
Authorities believe the hunters, all of whom are from Florida, were caught in hydrogen sulfide gas in the hole and sank to the bottom.
First responders at the scene found the underground cistern and said strong fumes, similar to those of a septic tank, were coming from inside.
In a statement, the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office said the stagnant water and instability of the cistern were hampering recovery efforts.
Cook said at a news conference that the cistern had “high levels of hydrogen sulfide,” with standing water and decomposing animals leading to lethal levels of the gas.
The hunting party included a fourth person from Texas who did not go into the hole.
Cook said the hunter told authorities the dog escaped from their truck and that they tracked it with a device on the dog’s collar.
At a press conference he said: “Can you imagine that? “You have loved ones and they come to Texas to hunt and then it ends like this: That was a sad tragedy that just happened.”
The rescue teams decided to vent the cistern by removing the gas and then draining the water.
Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook, pictured here, said one of the men went into the cistern in the early hours of Wednesday to rescue the dog, which was described as a bloodhound
First responders at the scene found the underground cistern and said strong fumes, similar to those of a septic tank, were coming from inside
The rescue teams decided to vent the cistern by removing the gas and then draining the water
Efforts were made to dig alongside the structure to allow access from the side at an elevation close to where the three bodies were located.
These efforts were soon abandoned as breaching the side would weaken the walls and make access unsafe.
After the cistern had been cleared of fumes and water and the air stabilized, a small drone was deployed inside the cistern to check the integrity of the walls.
The rescuers decided to lower someone into the cistern to recover him.
Investigator D. Newman managed to descend into the cistern and was able to recover all three victims and the dog.
After her death, a GoFundMe program was organized to help Martinez’s family, which has already raised $20,000.