Marine drowns aiding uncle

[thedrifter]

Marine drowns aiding uncle
Austinite on leave from Iraq one of two to die in rescue attempt.
By Joshunda Sanders
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, September 19, 2005

When Austin resident Bernardo Vasquez came back from an eight-month tour of duty in Iraq to spend a week with his family, his mother regained her faith in God. Her only son had returned alive, Anna Vasquez said.

But that happiness was short-lived. Cpl. Bernardo Vasquez, 21, drowned Thursday in theTrinity River in East Texas as he tried to save an uncle who was struggling in the water.

A San Jacinto County deputy constable who jumped in the river to help the men also died.

On Sunday, family members and friends reminisced and grieved over the loss of Vasquez, a Marine who joined the service to make a difference.

"A lot of people knew him as Batman because he wasn't afraid of anything," said Becky Villa, a family friend. "A lot of people looked up to him."

Vasquez had traveled to Shepherd, about an hour north of Houston, with relatives to see his grandfather during a break from his mission in Iraq, Anna Vasquez said. He wanted to see the river and was playing with some young cousins when Anna Vasquez noticed her brother, Mario Linares, 40, in the water screaming.

"My son was with me. He said, 'What's going on?' " she said. "He took off his wallet and his phone, and he jumped in the water."

A deputy constable who responded to a 911 call, Denny "Bo" Galloway, arrived on the scene with three other officers and dove into the river to help Vasquez, who had disappeared, law enforcement officials said. Neither Vasquez or Galloway resurfaced.

Linares survived after currents swept him onto a sandbar.

The incident occurred in an area of the river that has claimed as many as 20 lives to drownings in recent years, San Jacinto authorities said. The bodies of both men were recovered Thursday.

Anna Vasquez said she was still struggling to understand how her son died.

"They taught him how to swim in the Marines. I don't know what happened," Vasquez said. "He died a hero. He made me so proud."

Officials also praised the actions of Galloway, who was remembered for his bravery and dedication to law enforcement.

"He did not know this man. It didn't matter. He knew he had to save his life," said Jerry Everitt, San Jacinto County Precinct 2 constable.

Bernardo Vasquez was assigned as a tactical network specialist at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Vasquez had returned home from Iraq on Aug. 28 and was scheduled to return Tuesday.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery, with full military honors.

"He wanted to make something of himself," his sister Marcy Vasquez said. "I'm proud that he died saving someone else and not any other way."

joshundasanders@statesman.com; 445-3630

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine, police officer drown trying to save lives
Associated Press

SHEPHERD, Texas — A deputy constable and a Marine on leave from Iraq both died trying to save lives when they drowned in the Trinity River, unable to battle the powerful currents.

Bernardo Vasquez, 21, drowned Thursday afternoon after jumping into the river to help his uncle, 40-year-old Mario Linares, who was struggling in the water. Linares survived after currents swept him onto a sandbar.

Deputy Constable Denny “Bo” Galloway, 34, arrived at the scene with three other officers after receiving a 911 call. He dove into the river to save Vasquez, who had disappeared under the water. But the Marine did not resurface and Galloway, too, fell victim to the current.

“He did not know this man. It didn’t matter. He knew he had to save his life,” Jerry Everitt, Precinct 2 constable in San Jacinto County, said about Galloway — who had spent all night Wednesday working at the scene of a fatal train collision.

Vasquez, who had gone to the river to cool off with relatives during a family barbecue, had been home from Iraq for a week and was scheduled to return Tuesday. He had flown to Houston to visit his mother and grandfather before traveling to San Jacinto County to spend time with Linares and other relatives.

San Jacinto authorities said the site of the drownings was a dangerous section of the river, claiming as many as 20 lives in recent years. The bodies of both men were recovered later on Thursday.

Galloway is survived by a wife and three young sons. He was remembered Friday by wreaths of white carnations and roses hung on doors across San Jacinto County — along with fond memories of his bravery and dedication to law enforcement, especially the fight against methamphetamine labs.

“He wanted to make a difference,” Everitt said. “He’s what I would call a hero in everybody’s book.”

Vasquez’s family, friends and local residents were left shaking their heads at the cruel irony of a life spared from warfare yet taken at home.

“It was a guy who just came back from fighting in Iraq,” said San Jacinto County sheriff’s Lt. Leonard Johnson. “How could that be?”

Ellie