Overview
- The outing on Lake Epuyén turned dangerous Saturday near Planicie Chica when sudden gusts and steep waves flipped two small sailboats.
- Five people had departed from Puerto Patriada, and four swam to shore and sought help from a nearby resident.
- After hours of searching by police, Civil Protection and firefighters, a local resident found 47-year-old Gabriel Pitzel’s body near Cerro Pirque, and authorities took it to the Epuyén hospital for autopsy.
- The prosecutor’s office said early findings point to an accidental event caused by strong winds and waves, with forensic work still underway.
- Survivors showed signs of hypothermia from the cold water and received immediate aid at a nearby home and at the hospital.