Gov. Greg Abbott is leading Texas in mourning a Texas Army National Guard soldier whose body was found along the Rio Grande River, according to a press release.
Specialist Bishop E. Evans was assigned to Operation Lone Star when he went missing during a mission-related incident in Eagle Pass, the governor's office said.
Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that the Texas Military Department (TMD) confirmed Evans's identity on Sunday (April 24). Evans disappeared after he attempted to rescue a pair of migrants who were purportedly drowning in the Rio Grande on Friday morning (April 22), the station reported.
U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Friendswood) said on Twitter that Evans's body has been found, according to KHOU.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the death of [Specialist] Bishop E. Evans who was reported missing in Eagle Pass on Friday," Abbott, a Republican, said in the release. "Our National Guard soldiers risk their lives every day to serve and protect others and we are eternally grateful for the way Spc. Evans heroically served his state and country."
The governor expressed his gratitude toward the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and local law enforcement for "working around the clock" to find Evans.
"The Texas Military Department will continue to provide more updates to the public as they become available," Abbott said, per the release. "I ask that Texans join Cecilia and me in praying for the family and friends of Spc. Evans as they grieve this heartbreaking loss."
Dallas-Fort Worth NBC affiliate KXAS reported that the 22-year-old Evans was a 2018 graduate of Mansfield High School in the Mansfield Independent School District (MISD) and a native of Arlington.
The station reported that Evans, who joined the National Guard in 2019, served in the A Battery, 4-133 Field Artillery Regiment in New Braunfels.
Jo Ann Johnson recalled to KXAS how her late grandson was a caring and giving person.
“God put that in him first, that’s something that we nurtured," she told the station. "If he sees that you’re in trouble, he’ll ask you about yourself later but right now he’s going to help you.”
Educator Gilbert Rios saw the same in Evans when the latter attended kindergarten in San Antonio, calling his former student a "born leader."
"To me, he’s a hero and one that will never be forgotten," Rios said, KXAS reported.