CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A man who died after falling off an oil rig into the water below has been identified by San Patricio County authorities. Ricardo Jazael Loredo Padron, 29, from Aransas Pass, died in the accident over the weekend, according to San Patricio County Sheriff Oscar Rivera.
It was Saturday, Oct. 1, when authorities received the report of the missing Kiewit oil rig worker after a man fell into the water and never resurfaced.
The incident occurred on a rig that was moored at the Kiewit bulkheads inside the La Quinta ship channel near Ingleside.
The Aransas Pass Police Marine Division along with the Ingleside Police Dept. and the US Coast Guard assisted in a search and rescue operation with hopes of finding the missing worker.
At 5:30 p.m, the man's body was found by marine teams, who utilized a side scan sonar system which gave rescuers a visual representation of what lied on the sea floor.
Despite wearing all appropriate safety equipment, the man was pronounced dead. His inflatable PFD failed to deploy, officials said, which likely contributed to his death.
An autopsy has been ordered and the death investigation is still ongoing.
An OSHA investigation is underway, officials said.
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