What is a cistern tank? Officials identify victims killed after trying to rescue dog in Bastrop County

On Wednesday, August 9, an accident in Bastrop County led to the deaths of three people. The victims had reportedly entered a cistern in order to rescue a dog. However, they eventually got stuck inside. By the time officials arrived at the scene, all three were dead of unconfirmed reasons.

Authorities noted that a cistern tank is an underground vat which stores rainwater. However, there is a tendency for such tanks to contain fumes and stagnant water, leading to potentially lethal situations.

As reported by CBS, the bodies of the three victims have been taken to the medical examiner's office, where their cause of death is yet to be confirmed. The victims were identified as Denise Martinez, 26, Delvys Garcia, 37, and Noel Vigil-Benitez, 45.

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The timeline of the Bastrop county accident

KSAT noted that the incident occured during a hog hunting trip. The three victims were among a party of four while travelling through a Texas corn field.

However, at one point, their dog reportedly fell into the cistern. One of the victims descended into the cistern, but most likely got stuck inside. Investigators speculate that this pushed the two other victims to descend into the water tank to help him.

A fourth person, whose name remains undisclosed, attempted to call 911.

Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook discussed the circumstances that led to the incident.

Sheriff Cook said:

“It appears that they were out hog hunting. One of the dogs escaped from the truck and fell into the cistern. Once the dog fell into the cistern it appears that one of the hunters dove in or jumped in the cistern.”

At 1 am, first responders entered the scene. However, by this time they noted that the three people inside the cistern tank were not responsive.

They also began to smell toxic fumes, leading them to speculate that these could have played a role in killing the victims.

In their efforts to retrieve the bodies, officials attempted to dig next to the cistern tank. However, they determined that this could cause further destruction, putting the lives of the first responders at risk.

In an official press release, Bastrop County authorities noted:

“Efforts were made to dig beside the structure to allow access from the side at a level near where the 3 bodies had been located, but these efforts were soon abandoned since breaching the side would weaken the walls and make entry unsafe."

Instead, authorities operated a drone which entered the cistern, ultimately determining that it was safe to enter. Eventually, an officer from the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office entered the structure, before ultimately recovering all of the bodies. At 7:30 pm on Wednesday, they also recovered the body of the dog.

The case currently remains under investigation by Bastrop authorities.