According to The Independent, a tragic incident unfolded this week when the body of a missing SpaceX employee was discovered on a Texas beach, bringing a 24-hour search to a grim conclusion.
Kevin Edward Escobar, an employee of Elon Musk's SpaceX, was last seen on Sunday morning at Boca Chica Beach, where he had gone swimming with colleagues.
A fellow SpaceX employee, alarmed by Escobar's struggle to swim back to shore from a distance of 50 yards, alerted the Cameron County Sheriffs Office. Another colleague attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful, as reported by local outlet ValleyCentral. Escobar subsequently vanished beneath the water.
The US Coast Guard swiftly launched boat and helicopter crews to search for Escobar. However, after an exhaustive 18-hour search yielded no results, the case was handed over to local police on Monday, as reported by USA Today. Later that day, at around 6:30 p.m. local time, Escobar's body was found near the location where he was last seen. The Cameron County Sheriffs Office confirmed the news in a press release, stating that Escobar's family had been notified.
Boca Chica Beach, located at the southernmost tip of Texas along the Gulf Coast, serves as a commercial launch site for SpaceX. The tragic incident underscores the importance of water safety, as emphasized by James Farris, a public information officer for the Coast Guard Corpus Christi sector.
Speaking to local outlet KRGV, Farris said, "Always make sure if you are a boater, wear a life jacket and have a way to contact others via radio or EPIRB. Before going on the beach, always check the weather and sea state and if it is not safe to do so, refrain from entering the water. Safety first!
Login