Bystanders try to save 16-year-old who vanished during swim with family, Texas cops say

A 16-year-old boy died after vanishing near a popular river attraction in Texas, according to police.

The teenager was swimming with family in a dammed section of the Comal River on Aug. 19, the New Braunfels Police Department said in a news release. The department received a call that the boy was missing at about 3 p.m.

The dam is just above the New Braunfels Tube Chute, police said, an attraction constructed on the river that functions like a water slide for inner tube riders.

More than two hours after he vanished, bystanders spotted the teen near the dam and pulled him out of the water, police said. They called 911 and performed CPR on the boy until the New Braunfels Fire Department arrived at the scene, according to police.

He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, according to the release.

“Next of kin has been notified and, out of respect for the privacy of the family, his name is not being released at this time,” police said.

Investigators say there are no signs of foul play and that alcohol doesn’t seem to be involved, the release said. Police are looking into whether a pre-existing medical issue may have played a part in the drowning.

New Braunfels is roughly 30 miles northeast of San Antonio.

This story was originally published August 20, 2023 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Bystanders try to save 16-year-old who vanished during swim with family, Texas cops say."