Investigation continues after man found dead near Mansfield Dam

A man's body was found at Mansfield Dam on Monday. Austin Police say it doesn't appear to be foul play. Homicide detectives and an autopsy should be able to confirm that.

Mansfield Dam is a popular spot during the hot summer months. Resident Tom Sapio says it's also dangerous.

"People may drift down in a kayak or canoe, can't get back up. They end up on our property or they drown downstream. You don't swim downstream from a dam. It's dangerous. The current, it's pretty strong," says Tom Sapio, West Austin resident.

It was around 3:00 Monday afternoon when a kayaker reportedly came across a body underneath the 620 bridge.

So far, Austin Police can only say the deceased is a white male in his 30's and was found fully clothed.

"Of course we're going to have to do more investigating. As of right now, we can't tell you that there is anything suspicious about it. We do get many calls about deceased persons underneath bridges quite often. So we don't want to jump to conclusions," says Marcus Davis, Austin Police Department.

Travis County Sheriff's were the first to respond to the scene because the roads and bridge are under their jurisdiction.

The waterway is actually maintained by Austin Police, so it was about an hour later when they were able to take over the investigation.

Deborah Crockard was in the middle of it all.

"When I first got here, I was standing in the middle of the bridge and I saw the officers come in. They flew all the way to the end and then did a u-turn. The people that found the guy were walking out with the kayaks and they started talking to them," says Deborah Crockard, visitor.

APD lake patrol units and homicide detectives went to photograph the water scene and process the evidence.

Along with residents, they too know the area can be dangerous.

"Anytime we're dealing with water, there are things underneath the water that you can't see, such as rocks and other foreign objects. So it could also be possible that this is an accidental death. We just don't have all the information right now," says Davis.

The name of the victim has not yet been released.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office will be doing the autopsy.