The Fort Hood Army Base in Texas is investigating the death of a fourth soldier whose body was pulled from a lake following a boating accident over the weekend.
Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, died in a boating incident and his body was recovered Sunday in Stillhouse Hollow Lake near the base, Fort Hood announced in a press release Tuesday.
Base authorities are now working with police to investigate the circumstances of his death.
Hernandezvargas’ death is the fourth under investigation at the base in the last two months following the disappearances and deaths of Specialist Vanessa Guillen, Private Gregory Wedel-Morales and Private Mejhor Morta.
The Fort Hood Army Base in Texas is investigating the death of a fourth soldier, Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, whose body was pulled from a lake following a boating accident over the weekend
The discovery of Hernandezvargas’ body comes after the long search for 20-year-old soldier Pfc. Vanessa Guillen (left), whose remains were first found on June 30. She was found days after search teams discovered the corpse of missing soldier Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, 24, (right) on June 19. Foul play is suspected in both of their deaths
Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, of Florida was found unresponsive on July 17 near Stillhouse Hollow Lake
A view of Stillhouse Hollow Lake where Hernandezvargas’ body was found a little before 1.30pm on Sunday
Witnesses told Bell County Deputies said Hernandezvargas was in a boating incident on Saturday where he was riding an inner tube behind a boat and went underwater and didn’t come back up, according to WXRTV.
Rescue teams from the Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bell County Sheriff’s Department spent hours looking for the victim.
His body was recovered Sunday after 1.30pm and an autopsy was performed by the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office.
Hernandezvargas was from Woodside, New York and entered the Army in May 2017 as an automatic rifleman.
He had been assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since December 2017.
His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Service Ribbon.
Vanessa Guillen, 20, was reported missing from Fort Hood on April 22 shortly after she told her family she was being sexually harassed and felt unsafe
Morales (left), who was also known as Gregory Wedel, was last seen on August 19, 2019, driving his personal vehicle outside of Fort Hood. He was to be discharged within days after his disappearance, the Army said. Morta (right) entered the Army in September 2019 as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic. His family believes foul play is involved in his death
‘The Black Knight family is heartbroken by the loss of Spc. Francisco Hernandez. Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,’ Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong, commander of 1st Bn. 5th Cav. Regt said.
‘Spc. Hernandez served his country honorably both stateside while at Fort Hood and abroad in Korea and Romania and this tragic loss is felt by every member within our formation,’ he added.
Hernandezvargas is the second soldier to have died near the lake in less than a month.
Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, was found unresponsive in the lake’s vicinity on July 17.
Morta was found along the edge of Stillhouse Hollow Lake Dam by a fisherman, about 20 miles away from the base.
Investigators said the circumstances of his death were consistent with drowning.
His family is in the Philippines but he was most recently from Pensacola, Florida with dreams of becoming a Marine.
His family believes foul play was involved.
‘It was shocking,’ his stepfather Lance McLarrie said to Fox San Antonio.
‘He had his goals set and he had his future ahead of him. He was really doing good. I was surprised…There’s definitely foul play here, he added.
The base became shrouded in mystery earlier this year when 20-year-old Private First Class soldier Vanessa Guillen, 20, disappeared from the base on April 22 in a case that captured national attention.
President Donald Trump met with Guillen’s heartbroken family in the White House late last month to discuss #IAmVanessaGuillen, a proposed bill to help victims of sexual harassment in the military.
Her remains were first found on June 30. She disappeared after she told her family she was being sexually harassed by a superior.
According to the FBI investigation, the young military woman was allegedly killed by Private Aaron Robinson, 20, who committed suicide as police closed in on him.
All soldiers were stationed at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas
Robinson allegedly killed her with a hammer and stuffed her body in a box to carry off post. He allegedly enlisted his 22-year-old girlfriend Cecily Aguilar to help dismember and dispose of Guillen’s body.
She was found days after search teams discovered the corpse of missing soldier Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, 24, on June 19. Police are pleading for any tips regarding his death.
Foul play is suspected in both of their deaths.
Hernandezvargas is the eighth soldier this year to die in a non-combat related incident on or around Fort Hood.