Kansas drowning happened after 20-year-old fell into creek while on a walk, sheriff says

A 20-year-old Kansas man died after falling into a creek in rural Barton County, officials said.

Emergency crews in Barton County were called at around 9:35 a.m. Wednesday to the Wet Walnut Creek a few miles northwest of Great Bend, Sheriff Brian Bellendir said Thursday in a news release. The 911 caller said a family member had been found in the water.

Paramedics found Manuel Castillo and began resuscitation. They took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A sheriff’s office investigation determined Castillo was walking along the creek bank when he fell about 40 feet down the embankment, which is covered with rock, metal rods and corrugated steel to prevent erosion. Castillo was cut and bruised by the fall. He was incapacitated and landed in about 2 feet of water.

A medical examination indicated his cause of death was drowning, and that it was accidental.

This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 3:52 PM.