Jay_SMART_Diver
Contributor
San Marcos Area Recovery Team
SMART Divers
Dan Misiaszek
Public information officer
July 28, 2011 11:58pm
For immediate release
Missing Man found in lake after late night search.
Divers with the San Marcos Area Recovery Team (SMART) found the body of a missing man in Canyon Lake after a late night search.
A 9-1-1 call came into the Comal County Sheriff's Department at 7:41pm reporting a missing swimmer at Potter's Creek Park on the north side of Canyon Lake.
A short time later SMART Divers were notified to respond.
Divers entered the water shortly before 10pm. The team searched for over an hour using search patterns before finding the body of 36 year old Guillermo Garcia Jr from Lubbock, Texas who was in the area visiting family in San Antonio. His body was recovered and turned over to the Comal County Sheriff's Department and Texas Game Wardens at Potter's Creek. Divers Matt Simkin and Homer Martinez found Mr. Garcia at 11:03pm in 10 feet of water.
Normally SMART would have called off the operation due to darkness, however SMART continued to search after darkness fell.
'We train our divers in zero visibility and this is an exact case scenario. During training operations we cover our diver's masks with aluminum foil to simulate a zero visibility environment. In this case the darkness provided that environment and we decided to continue our search patterns due to the shallow depths and a low risk environment. The lake bottom was very flat and did not present unreasonable obstacles or hazards to divers.
Divers found Garcia's body approximately 120 yards from where witness stated he had entered the water.
This is the sixth body SMART has recovered this year in area lakes and rivers.
SMART was assisted by the Game Wardens with Texas Parks and Wildlife, Canyon Lake EMS, Canyon Lake FD, and the Army Corp of Engineers.
SMART Divers
Dan Misiaszek
Public information officer
July 28, 2011 11:58pm
For immediate release
Missing Man found in lake after late night search.
Divers with the San Marcos Area Recovery Team (SMART) found the body of a missing man in Canyon Lake after a late night search.
A 9-1-1 call came into the Comal County Sheriff's Department at 7:41pm reporting a missing swimmer at Potter's Creek Park on the north side of Canyon Lake.
A short time later SMART Divers were notified to respond.
Divers entered the water shortly before 10pm. The team searched for over an hour using search patterns before finding the body of 36 year old Guillermo Garcia Jr from Lubbock, Texas who was in the area visiting family in San Antonio. His body was recovered and turned over to the Comal County Sheriff's Department and Texas Game Wardens at Potter's Creek. Divers Matt Simkin and Homer Martinez found Mr. Garcia at 11:03pm in 10 feet of water.
Normally SMART would have called off the operation due to darkness, however SMART continued to search after darkness fell.
'We train our divers in zero visibility and this is an exact case scenario. During training operations we cover our diver's masks with aluminum foil to simulate a zero visibility environment. In this case the darkness provided that environment and we decided to continue our search patterns due to the shallow depths and a low risk environment. The lake bottom was very flat and did not present unreasonable obstacles or hazards to divers.
Divers found Garcia's body approximately 120 yards from where witness stated he had entered the water.
This is the sixth body SMART has recovered this year in area lakes and rivers.
SMART was assisted by the Game Wardens with Texas Parks and Wildlife, Canyon Lake EMS, Canyon Lake FD, and the Army Corp of Engineers.
