By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
On Sunday, Oct. 20, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department was alerted to a missing Space X employee, later identified as Kevin Escobar, who was last seen swimming near Boca Chica Beach. When deputies
spoke to a witness on the scene, a fellow SpaceX employee, he reported that his coworker, Escobar, had gone into the water to swim but was in distress as he could not return to shore.
Deputies described there being a strong current and high tide at the time. Deputies reported they had witnessed another SpaceX employee enter the water to reach Escobar, who was now 50-yards out. However, he was unable to reach Escobar due to the rough conditions and returned to shore.
Tragically, the Deputies witnessed the swimmer get pulled under the water and lost sight of him.
Coast Guard Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station South Padre Island Response Boat, a small crew and a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus
Christi MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter crew to search for the missing man.
According to the SPI Coast Guard, the crew aboard the South Padre Island Response Boat had to eventually cease their search efforts due to the epically rough sea conditions.
The Coast Guard, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department [TPWD], Cameron County Sheriff’s Department, the Cameron County Fire Department, the Brownsville Fire Department, the SpaceX Security Department
and the Department of Public Safety all assisted in the search for Escobar.
The search continued the next morning as the Sheriff’s Office deployed drones and ATVs. TPWD patrolled the beach and a Texas Game Warden Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot also offered aerial support. In total,
the agencies searched by air and sea for over 205 square miles.
At 6:35 p.m., Escobar’s deceased body was found on Boca Chica Beach. His body was retrieved by Sheriff’s Deputies and U.S. Border Patrol agents.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the last time a drowning took place at Boca Chica Beach was on May 29, 2022.
SpaceX declined to comment on the employee’s passing.
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