West Haven Native Dies in Texas, Just One Week After Moving to Austin

WEST HAVEN, CT — A West Haven native tragically died last week in Texas — just one week after moving with his family to Austin. The medical examiner on Tuesday identified Cody Quincy May, 31, as the man who drowned last Thursday at Drapers Cove on Lake Travis.

May drowned on Jan. 19 after he tried joining his children on a raft, according to Travis County Sheriff's Office officials. The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office made the identification.

Witnesses told police that several of May's children were playing on a raft near the shoreline when May began walking out to the raft and suddenly stepped into deep water. He immediately began to struggle while calling for help. A fisherman in a nearby boat saw May struggling to stay afloat and sped over on his watercraft to try to help the man.

But the fisherman's efforts were unsuccessful. May was unable to grasp a flotation device thrown at him and went under, never to resurface.

Emergency crews with the Travis County Fire Rescue, Austin-Travis County EMS, StarFlight and Travis County Sheriff’s Office launched a rescue mission but after 30 minutes the effort went from one of rescue to recovery.

The next day, Jan. 20, at about 10 a.m., the Travis County Sheriff's Office dive team, while searching the area where the fisherman last reported seeing May, located the body submerged in 12 feet of water. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death as accidental, and the cause as freshwater drowning.

May and his family had been new residents of Austin for just one week before the man's drowning.

Written by Tony Cantu (Patch Staff)

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