Official: Body of missing man recovered 'just down river' from where accident happened

A car plunged into the Lake Wright Patman spillway after going through the guard rail and fencing about 6 p.m. Sunday.
A car plunged into the Lake Wright Patman spillway after going through the guard rail and fencing about 6 p.m. Sunday.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Gregg Williams confirmed Thursday morning that the body of 23-year-old Armando Valdez has been recovered.

Valdez was the driver of a 2000 GMC Yukon that plunged from the roadway and into Lake Wright Patman spillway Sunday evening.

The body of Valdez was found about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, said Game Warden Shawn Hervey. "He was just down river from where it happened. He didn't even make it to Highway 59."

Game wardens and dive teams had been trying to find Valdez practically around the clock since Sunday night's accident.

"We were back out at first light. All day, every day," Hervey said. "It's tragic and our hearts and prayers go out to this family."

At noon Wednesday, The Corp of Engineers decided to resume water flow through the spillway. The gates were reopened in order to prevent flooding.

The victim's wife, Lucia Mendoza, 29, of Texarkana was rescued from the water by Dustin Roach of Ashdown, Arkansas. Roach saw the vehicle go into the water and jumped in to help, according to social media reports.

Roach has also started a GoFundMe account for Lucia Mendoza.

"I witnessed a tragic accident at Wright Patman Spill Way on Easter Sunday. However, God showed up and I was blessed to be able to save Lucia's life," he wrote on the GoFundMe account.

"Sadly, she did lose her husband that day and she will soon be hit with hospital and funeral expenses," he wrote.

Hervey added that the Valdez will be sent to Dallas for an autopsy, after which his family members, who live in Texarkana area, plan to send him back to Mexico for burial.

Lucia Mendoza, 29, who was also inside the car when it plunged into the spillway waters, managed to exit the vehicle shortly after it sank. She escaped with minor injuries and was rescued from the force of the water's spillway flow, by a local man, once she floated to the water's surface.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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