San Angelo Man Who Drowned at North Concho River Identified

The San Angelo Police Department released a statement this afternoon identifying the San Angelo man who fell into the Concho River Saturday morning as Barney Eugene Keele, 52.

At around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning, San Angelo Police Department officials were called to the 300 block of S. Oakes Street to assist the Fire Department with a possible drowning victim, said Tracy Gonzalez with SAPD Office of Public Information. Upon arrival, witnesses directed officers and San Angelo Fire Department personnel to the location where Keele was last seen. Several first responders entered and searched the water for approximately 15 minutes before locating Keele at the bottom of the riverbed. At that time, paramedics administered CPR during his transport to Shannon Medical Center where an attending physician later pronounced Keele dead.

Medical personnel advised police Keele may have suffered a medical complication prior to falling into the water, but the official cause of death has not been determined.

Witnesses at the scene told investigators Keele was having difficulty walking and keeping his balance prior to falling into the water. Family members claim, after San Angelo LIVE! broke the story, that Keele suffered from a heart attack. However, this is an ongoing investigation.