AUSTIN (KXAN) — The autopsy report for Jason John — the 30-year-old man who was found dead in Lady Bird Lake near Rainey Street earlier this year — was released to KXAN Wednesday.
The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office determined his cause of death was drowning and the manner of death was ruled accidental.
“According to reports, this 30-year-old man was witnessed by a transient bystander to be vomiting by the bank of Lady Bird Lake and then subsequently fall and submerge into the water in the early morning of February 5, 2023. After attempting to aid the decedent, the bystander went to a nearby hotel and contacted 911,” the report read.
The report said John had no significant internal or external injuries and that there were no fractures or traumatic injuries found.
John’s toxicology report showed alcohol was in his system but no illegal drugs were detected.
John was reported missing on February 5 and found in Lady Bird Lake near Rainey Street more than a week later. John’s death, and another that happened months later in the same area, have prompted a push for additional safety measures near the lake, including more lighting and fencing near the water.
Jonathan Honey, 33, was also found dead in the same area in April. KXAN has also requested his autopsy which is not yet available.
Martin Gutierrez autopsy report
KXAN previously reported on the death of a man in the same area in 2018. The Medical Examiner’s Office determined Martin Gutierrez, 25, died by accidental drowning.
The autopsy also found that there was a bruise on the lower part of Gutierrez’s head, but no skull fracture or brain injuries, and swelling in his brain and chest cavities.
The report stated that Gutierrez had his ID and his banking cards on him when he was found. It added that he was a proficient swimmer, with no history of seizure disorder and no history of illicit or prescription drug use.
The ME’s office reported that they found alcohol in his blood, but no prescription drugs.
“I do not think this was an accident,” Mitchell Gutierrez, Martin’s older brother and roommate, told us shortly after the report was released. Mitchell has continued to advocate for better safety in the area since his brother’s death.
