Austin CEO Angela Chao submerged in vehicle over an hour as rescuers worked to save her

For more than an hour, sheriff's deputies, firefighters and other volunteers fought to pull Angela Chao out of a vehicle submerged in a pond on a Central Texas ranch, a picturesque location that complicated the rescue attempt, according to a report obtained Friday by the American-Statesman.

Chao, 50, a philanthropist and CEO of a global shipping empire, died despite the rescue attempts as first responders stood atop the submerged vehicle and worked to break inside and pull her out.

Chao, an Austin resident, was CEO of Foremost Group and is the younger sister of Elaine Chao, who served as transportation secretary under former President Donald Trump and labor secretary under former President George W. Bush. The elder Chao is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

A narrative in the three-page report, authored by a firefighter with Blanco County Emergency Services District No. 2, provides the most detailed description to date of the incident. The district provided the report to the Statesman in response to a Texas Public Information Act request.

Other than a brief statement describing the incident as an "unfortunate accident," the Blanco County sheriff's office has repeatedly declined to release details about the circumstances leading up to Chao's death. The county justice of the peace who pronounced her dead at the scene has not responded to multiple inquiries.

Transparency: Blanco County officials not releasing records into Angela Chao's death investigation

Sheriff's deputies responded to 101 Schneider Lane in Johnson City for a possible water rescue before midnight on Feb. 11. Public records show the property is owned by a trust that shares the same Chicago address as an investment and public equity firm owned by Chao's husband, Jim Breyer.

Firefighters with ESD No. 2, headquartered in the city of Blanco, responded to the scene after midnight, the newly released report shows. They arrived at the ranch shortly before 12:30 a.m., the report shows — about 27 minutes after they were called.

Some rescuers had already arrived, including medics from ESD No. 1, who reached the scene within nine minutes of being called to the scene, the county’s EMS chief said.

"The deputies were in the water standing on what they believed was the vehicle, trying to gain access to the possible victim inside the vehicle," wrote fire Lt. Royce Penshorn in the report. An EMS responder told him one vehicle was "completely submerged" with one person inside.

A two-person crew searched the pond's bank for other victims and set up lighting as the rescue efforts continued. The deputies remained in the water, trying to extract Chao, as additional EMS units arrived. A tow truck also arrived to try to pull the vehicle out, but its chains could not reach it from the pond's bank, Penshorn said in the report.

Two deputies stood on the submerged vehicle and requested tools to break the vehicle's windows, the report says. An EMS crew member and a firefighter went into the water with the tools to get into the vehicle. They used "several tools" to get into the vehicle, including a pike pole and a Halligan bar, a multipurpose tool used by firefighters to force an entry.

Rescuers pulled the patient from the vehicle at about 12:56 a.m., said Benjamin Oakley, the EMS chief. EMS responders delivered "advanced life support" for 43 minutes to try to resuscitate her.

Chao was pronounced dead at the scene.

No dive team was available to be sent to the ranch, the report says. Oakley said no emergency response agencies in Blanco County have a dive team, so they rely on teams from neighboring Hays and Travis counties when needed. Such teams are generally tasked with recovering bodies, not rescues, he said.

According to their websites, first responders in Blanco County include a mix of full-time and volunteer firefighters and medics. They serve a large swath of rural areas, small towns, schools, recreational parks, hunting areas and intersecting highways. Their combined coverage area is hundreds of square miles.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Angela Chao submerged over an hour during rescue attempt, EMS says