82-year-old snorkeler drowns, then his son-in-law goes under water, Texas officials say
_fitted.png "Two men drowned in a spring-fed swimming pool at Balmorhea State Park in Texas, according to the state Parks and Wildlife Department.")
An 82-year-old man and his son-in-law are dead after officials say they drowned at a state park in West Texas.
On Sunday, June 30, Ernest Manchin, of Dripping Springs, went snorkeling during a visit to Balmorhea State Park, but didn’t resurface, the state Parks and Wildlife Department said in a July 3 news release.
Manchin went under water “in the deep section” of a pool fed by San Solomon Springs, a coveted natural feature at the park, officials said. The San Solomon Springs pool covers 1.75 acres and is the largest spring-fed swimming pool in the world, according to the University of Texas.
State Park Police, Texas Game Wardens and Reeves County first responders made their way to the scene, TPWD said. But while rescuers were trying to save Manchin, his 56-year-old son-in-law from New Jersey, Gary Wong, “also went under water and did not resurface.”
Rescuers pulled both men from the water and performed CPR before they were taken to a hospital in Pecos, about 40 miles from the park, officials said. Manchin and Wong were pronounced dead at the hospital.
“Our condolences are with their families and friends during this difficult time,” officials said.
Balmorhea State Park is a roughly 400-mile drive west from Austin. It was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the park website says, and it’s been a beloved oasis in the West Texas desert ever since, where visitors can “swim, scuba or skin dive, camp, geocache, study nature and bird watch.”
This story was originally published July 3, 2024 at 4:28 PM with the headline "82-year-old snorkeler drowns, then his son-in-law goes under water, Texas officials say."