http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/428/story/40323.html

SECOND IMMIGRANT BODY FOUND
Man was among six illegal aliens who jumped in river
April 16, 2007 - Posted at 1:01 a.m.
BY REBECCA HOLM - VICTORIA ADVOCATE

The body of a second suspected illegal alien, who had been missing since six men jumped into the Guadalupe River on Wednesday, was recovered late Sunday morning.
"It's a very unfortunate thing, something that's becoming a daily occurrence," said Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor.

After conferring with Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 4, Henry Welfel Jr., O'Connor announced that "the body of a white - possibly Hispanic - male" was located just before noon approximately 250 yards east of where the man entered the river.

The two men found in the river were in a group of 13 suspected illegal immigrants who took off on foot after a pickup crashed through a fence and stopped in a pasture off Fox Road on Wednesday morning. The truck driver, traveling on U.S. Highway 59 South, had refused to stop for a deputy.

Seven were captured on land, and six went into the river. Four were seen getting out of the Guadalupe on the opposite bank.

O'Connor said the search quickly narrowed down to the riverbank because of concern for the two men who were missing. He mentioned the possibilities of hypothermia and death.

Search and recovery dogs, who can pick up scent both on land and in the water, were brought in Thursday, he said. The dogs pinpointed several areas close to where the bodies where eventually found. Divers were used as well, but O'Connor said that the river was treacherous, containing full trees and very little visibility.

On Saturday, the first body was recovered about half a mile from where the two men went in, and the second man was found in a nearby area on Sunday.

According to a preliminary autopsy, the man recovered Saturday was Hispanic and in his early 20s.

O'Connor said that identification of the two bodies should be possible, explaining that the second body "is in good shape due to the coldness of the water ... I'm positive we'll be able to have a situation where it will be identified."

The body recovered on Sunday is being sent to Austin for an autopsy, he said.

He also said that interviews with the others traveling with the two men have provided several leads. He added that the Sheriff's Department has been in contact with the border patrol, which keeps records on previous illegal immigrants, to see if the men could be identified through that office.

O'Connor said that two of the four who fled on foot have been recovered, although he did not say where or how. While two are still at large, he said, "We feel confident there are no individuals out in the area."

He said that numerous officials helped with the search, including the border patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Citizens Medical Flight, Victoria Police and some military assistance, and landowners. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority assisted with access to the river, he said. "We had a very good team of diverse resources."