A 5-year-old child died this week while spending the day at one of the most popular coastal destinations in South Texas.
The 5-year-old boy drowned on Wednesday, July 22, while swimming near beach mile marker 45 in Port Aransas, according to the Coastal Bend’s NBC affiliate, KRIS 6 News. The child had been visiting the beach south of the popular tourist town when the drowning occurred. He had reportedly been out of their sight for only a few minutes when he was found in the water.
Several first responders from the Port Aransas Police Department, Texas Game Wardens and a lifeguard responded to the scene and attempted lifesaving measures, including CPR, until an ambulance arrived on the scene. However, after being transferred to a local hospital, the boy was pronounced dead.
Over the last several years, at least one person has drowned nearly every summer during peak tourist season in and around the Port Aransas area.
In 2021, a father and son both drowned while vacationing from San Antonio. Richard Mireles, 47, and his son, Nicholas Austin Mireles, 19, had been at the beach on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, when authorities received a call for two swimmers in distress near mile marker 9. The elder Mireles was recovered from the water later that day, while his son’s body was recovered more than 24 hours later.