CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office identified the 25-year-old man killed along the jetties while surfing yesterday as Clark Perkins.
According to officials, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the trunk of the body after Perkins was slammed against the jetty rocks while surfing.
Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, Nueces County ESD #2, along with Corpus Christi Police and beach lifeguards, responded to a call for a man in distress near the south jetty at Packery Channel.
Police say Clark Perkins was surfing in the water when he hit the jetties and sustained severe injuries as his head got caught in the rails. Perkins was transported to the hospital where he later died, according to police.
Mayor Joe McComb said Perkins was thrown against the jetties in the rough waters produced by Hurricane Laura. McComb said that beaches are going to be closed to vehicle traffic until at least 10 a.m., and that order could be extended.
This order is effective immediately and remains in effect until Thursday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m.
Authorities do not know where Perkins is from and believe he may be enlisted in the military, but say they are still investigating to find more answers.