A 38-year-old man died in the Mendoza town of
San Rafael
when
he was testing a jet ski
in the
El Nihuil reservoir
, where he performed a pirouette, went over the other side of the wall and
fell about 30 meters
into the landfill.
The accident occurred around 7:30 this Saturday, inside the lake of the reservoir of the aforementioned town, about 230 kilometers from the provincial capital, and the victim was identified as
Pablo Oscar Barnez (38)
.
The man had arrived at the location with a group of friends with whom he would spend the weekend.
They were the ones who called 911 to ask for assistance after the impact.
Once at the scene, the police confirmed the incident and found Barnez injured, lying on the ground and a jet ski next to him, on the other side of the reservoir wall.
The man went through a wall and fell 30 meters.
Photo Ministry of Security of Mendoza.
From there an ambulance rushed him to the ward of a hospital in the area due to the severity of his injuries.
Doctors treated Barnez for facial and head trauma, and traumatic brain injury (CTE), with loss of consciousness, but despite the effort he died from the serious injuries he received in the accident.
According to witnesses, the man was testing a jet ski with various maneuvers and at one point he crossed the wall of the reservoir and fell into the void on the other side, which is the landfill.
The area where the accident occurred.
Investigators worked in the lagoon with the aim of gathering elements to determine the reasons for the accident that caused his death.
The investigation of the incident is being carried out by the Jurisdictional Prosecutor's Office of San Rafael, Mendoza.
El Nihuil, a tourist attraction
Windsurfing and kitesurfing are two of the common sports activities practiced in El Nihuil, widely visited by tourists in the summer.
The reservoir is an artificial lake formed on the Atuel River in the south of the province, and is used for both irrigation and electricity generation.
Its 9,600 hectares position it as the largest reservoir in Mendoza.
The retaining wall of the dam is made of simple concrete and a triangular profile, with a curved plan of 275 meters in radius.
With information from Télam
DP