30-year-old missing after night out with friends is found dead in Texas lake days later

The body of a 30-year-old man was discovered in a lake days after he went missing, his family said.

Jason John had been missing since Sunday, Feb. 5, after a night out with friends in Austin, Texas, according to a GoFundMe. He was seen in surveillance footage walking on a street that runs along Lady Bird Lake, a 465-acre body of water that flows from the Colorado River.

Not long after he was last seen, the Austin-Travis County EMS office said its crews were dispatched for a rescue after a bystander tried to save someone in the water. Crews searched for days for the victim, and the search later become a recovery mission, officials said.

Family knew something was wrong when John had not returned home on Feb. 5, leaving his dog, Ruffles, alone.

“The key thing is, OK, maybe he went out, he stayed at a friend’s place, his phone died, that’s all possible,” John’s brother, Rinju John, told KTBC. “But as soon as we knew that (Ruffles) was at home for hours on end and Jason wasn’t back then, we knew something was wrong.”

As the search for John neared a full week, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett said more search and rescue resources had been provided on Feb. 12.

John’s body was pulled out of the water on Monday, Feb. 13, family members told KEYE and KVUE.

“We don’t want this to ever happen again,” Rinju John told KVUE. “That entire path needs lights and a public camera system set up.”

John’s family also encouraged businesses along the walking trail to set up security cameras to prevent a similar incident, KXAN reported.

Those thoughts were echoed by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, who said he was “heartbroken” for John’s friends and family.

“I share the family’s concerns about lighting and safety along the trail,” Watson said. “We are in contact with @TheTrailATX on ways to address these issues. I’d also like to thank the Austin police and the search and rescue teams for their tireless efforts.”