HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The body of a man who went missing Monday after crashing an ATV at an off-road park in Crosby was recovered after a brief search, according to authorities.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted about the accident just before 5 p.m. and said the Harris County Sheriff's Office dive team was going to the scene to try to help find the man. He said it happened at the Xtreme Off-Road park on Gulf Pump Road in Crosby.
According to preliminary information, the man crashed an ATV, went under water and didn't resurface. It's unclear what led up to or caused the crash.
The body of the 30-year-old man was found after a brief search, according to authorities.
Others at the park tried to save the man but were unsuccessful. What was supposed to be a day of celebration turned to tragedy.
"He was, like, 'Hey, somebody's 4-wheeler is in the water.' So, I came over here and as soon as I got here, we heard there was somebody still out there, so what happened was I jumped in," Lionel Palomares said.
Palomares said he was in the water for about 10 to 15 minutes looking for the ATV rider. He said a woman was also in the water with him.
Investigators said they're not sure what happened. They said he managed to get about 50 yards into the water before the ATV flipped, taking him down with it.
"It doesn't take very long to drown," HCSO Lt. Chris Adolph said.
Authorities said there wasn't much that anyone could do.
"If there were a rescue diver on the scene, he could have been saved, sure. But from the time we got the call to the time we got out here, it was more of a recovery," HCSO Lt. D. Jasper said.
Palomares said he tried everything he could.
"Yeah, it's really sad. It's heartbreaking, especially in a place like this where you come to have fun and you expect to go home ... sometimes it doesn't happen," Palomares said.
Investigators said there's no indication that alcohol factored into the crash. The man's identity has not been released.