Fisherman dies after boating accident in Laguna Madre shipping canal, says game warden

CAMERON COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A fisherman died Tuesday after his boat was struck by a barge in Laguna Madre, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said.

On Tuesday around 11 a.m., two men from Weslaco were fishing in the Laguna Madre, just outside the arroyo.

The two had mechanical problems with their boat and were unable to avoid a barge in the ship canal.

As a result, their boat was run over by the barge and the two men went under. Game wardens say the two were able to surface on the other side conscious. However, the surviving fisherman told authorities that his partner was unresponsive.

Good Samaritans discovered the two men and attempted to resuscitate the unconscious man.

The men were brought ashore, where they were met by gamekeepers who attempted to save their lives. However, the unconscious man died at the scene.

The fishing boat was recovered by the National Guard and brought ashore.

Because the accident involved both a commercial and a recreational boat, the case was referred to the U.S. Coast Guard.