On September 29, 2024, a distressing incident occurred in the 500 block of West Cesar Chavez Street. At approximately 2:16 p.m., a 911 call was made to report a man acting erratically in the area. According to the caller, the man was screaming and yelling before crawling onto a bank and rolling into the water. The caller noted that the man continued to scream while swimming and punching the air until he went underwater and did not resurface.
Emergency responders from the Austin Fire Department (AFD) and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) arrived at the scene promptly. They managed to locate and retrieve the individual from the water. Despite attempts to revive him, life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at 3:11 p.m.
Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Specialists attended the scene for further investigation. A witness provided an account of observing the man behaving erratically on a nearby hike and bike trail. The witness reported seeing him scream, punch trees, foam at the mouth, enter the water between the trail and West Cesar Chavez Street, swim while continuing to scream and punch before submerging.
The deceased remains unidentified as authorities continue their investigation into this death. The case is being treated as a death investigation rather than a homicide.
Authorities urge anyone with information related to this incident to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.