June 13th, 2011
Student dies in fall from Aquarena tower

SUBMITTED REPORT

A Texas State University student died Sunday morning after falling from the Sky Spiral tower at the Aquarena Center on the university campus.

John Patrick Fox, 26, of Austin was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 8:40 a.m. Sunday by Hays County Justice of the Peace Jo Anne Prado. Fox was a senior at Texas State majoring in geography. He was not enrolled during the current summer session.

According to Texas State University Police Department reports, Fox and a companion, Kyle Eulice Anderson, 24, of San Marcos, entered the Aquarena property illegally and accessed a ladder inside the tower’s shaft before 7 a.m. Sunday. Public access is prohibited to the tower location.

Police were called at 7:10 a.m. by an area resident who saw two people at the top of the 220-foot-tall tower. Police responded to the scene and attempted to communicate with the two men. Both men then entered the tower and were descending. Fox fell and sustained fatal injuries.

Anderson reached the ground safely. He was arrested by university police and charged with criminal trespass, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a $2,000 fine, 180 days in jail or both. Anderson is not a Texas State student.

“This is a very sad situation and I would like to express my deepest sympathy on behalf of the Texas State community to the family and friends of John Patrick Fox,” said Eugene Bourgeois, Texas State associate provost. “Unfortunately, this incident is a stark reminder of the precious but fragile nature of life.”

The Aquarena Sky Spiral was purchased by the then-owners of the Aquarena Springs theme park from Lion Country Safari of Atlanta in 1978. It was transported to San Marcos and erected at Aquarena and opened to the public as an observation tower in 1979. It was taken out of service in 1996. The university purchased the former theme park in 1994 and has converted it to an education and research center.