A Temple man fishing on Lake Belton Thursday night apparently drowned after gusty winds and thunderstorms hit Central Texas, authorities said.
Efrain Ramirez Marquez was identified as the drowning victim, the Bell County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Friday.
His body was recovered just after noon on Friday.
The drowning was reported shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday night. Deputies responded to the North Point Marina, 3681 Cedar Ridge Park Road in the Temple area, and “were unable to immediately locate a victim.”
Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park rangers, along with the Morgan’s Point Resort Dive Team assisted with the search.
Family and friends worried about Marquez after thunderstorms rolled into Bell County Thursday evening. Marquez, who was not an avid fisherman, had one arm and was unable to swim.
The death is being investigated by the Bell County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Division.
Bell County Justice of the Peace Keith Reed pronounced Marquez dead at the scene and ordered an autopsy from the Southwestern Institute of Forensics Sciences in Dallas.
Officials at North Point Marina were unavailable for comment Friday, a worker told the Telegram.
