Three Hunters Died While Trying To Save Trapped Dogs In The Underground Tank

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Tony Webster)

JAKARTA - Three hunters from Florida, United States and a dog were found dead after they were caught in an underground tank partially filled with water in a corn field in Texas, the Bastro County Sheriff's Office said.

It all started when authorities responded to a report on Wednesday morning that said Delvys Garcia (37), Denise Martinez (26) and Noel Vigil-Benitez (45) were trapped in a hole in the ground north of Bastro County.

There were no signs of life, and preliminary reports showed "the hunting group consisting of 3 men and 1 woman ended on foot in a corn field, when one of their dogs fell into the tank," authorities said.

Authorities believe one of them ended up in the tank after "perhaps" trying to save the dog, while two others got into the tank to save them, they said.

"The fourth member of the group went to the truck to call for help and called 911," the sheriff's office said in a post on Facebook.

"The water level in the tank is well below the tank's small hole, which is on the ground level, so it doesn't allow anyone to get out of the tank, which resulted in the deaths of two men and one woman. The three victims who died were Florida residents... The dogs were also not safe," the sheriff's office continued.

An investigation into confirming the "early details report" is ongoing and an autopsy has been ordered.