Hunting trip goes awry when dog jumps into well. Now 3 bodies recovered, Texas cops say

Authorities located the bodies of three people and a dog inside a well in Texas, police said.

The bodies were found in a cistern on a private property in Bastrop County on Aug. 9, local police said in a news release.

Four people were hog hunting when their dog jumped into the cistern, which had a water level about 8 feet below the ground, Sheriff Maurice Cook said in a press conference, according to KXAN News. Three of the individuals then leapt in after the dog.

Police believe that gases in the well overcame the hunters, making it difficult for them to stay afloat, Cook said, according to the outlet.

“So it wasn’t long in the tank before they went to the bottom,” Cook said.

First responders were not eager to enter the well given the unknown nature of the gases and the questionable structural integrity, Cook said in the press conference, according to FOX 7 Austin.

But, after the tank was pumped and inspected by a drone, a deputy went in and recovered the bodies, Cook said, according to the outlet. The deceased, all of whom were from Florida, were identified as Delvys Garcia, 37; Denise Martinez, 26; and Noel Vigil-Benitez, 45.

Their bodies were taken to a medical examiner’s office, Cook said, according to FOX 7 Austin.

When contacted by McClatchy News on Aug. 10, a spokesperson for the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office did not have any further information to provide.

Bastrop County is located about 35 miles southeast of Austin.

This story was originally published August 10, 2023 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Hunting trip goes awry when dog jumps into well. Now 3 bodies recovered, Texas cops say."