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Angela Chao, the billionaire sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), reportedly spent her final moments desperately reaching out to friends for assistance as her Tesla gradually submerged in a pond on a secluded Texas ranch.
The New York Post reported that Chao, the billionaire ex-CEO of the prominent dry bulk shipping company Foremost Group, passed away at the age of 50 on February 10th. The tragedy occurred when she inadvertently reversed her vehicle into the pond while executing a three-point turn.
The driving incident was outlined in a report by The Wall Street Journal, revealing the frantic rescue attempts that unfortunately fell short, turning what was meant to be a joyous weekend with friends into a harrowing nightmare.
According to the Journal, Chao extended invites to several of her Harvard Business School girlfriends for a weekend getaway on a stunning 900-acre private estate nestled in Texas’ Hill Country. The property boasted horse stables, a swimming pool, and a 10-bedroom guesthouse, promising a luxurious retreat.
Following a shared dinner and festivities for the Chinese New Year on Friday evening, Chao left the guesthouse around 11:30 p.m. to return to the main house where her son was sleeping, the Post noted. Since it was cold, she opted to use her Tesla Model X SUV for the brief four-minute journey rather than walking, the report added.
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Texas cops investigating Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law’s death as a CRIME: Police say her drowning in pond on husband’s ranch after ‘driving into water’ was ‘not a typical accident’ – but refuse to release 911 call and video evidencehttps://t.co/ed9S9sYKRo
— The Bias (@thebias_news) March 2, 2024
Within moments, she dialed one of her friends in a state of panic, explaining that she had mistakenly shifted the car into reverse instead of driving while making a K-turn.
As the vehicle reversed, it veered off an embankment and plunged into a pond, rapidly submerging, the reports said. Responding quickly, her friends rushed to aid, with one woman leaping into the pond.
Upon hearing the commotion, the property’s ranch manager and his wife emerged, and someone quickly dialed 911.
The Post added:
Blanco County emergency units finally arrived at 12:28 a.m. — a full 24 minutes after they received the call, according to an incident report obtained by the paper.
Due to the rugged terrain, a number of responders got out of their cars and walked to the scene.
One responder described the Tesla as completely submerged.
Sheriff’s deputies even stood on top of it during the rescue efforts, trying to bust open a window.
An incident report said that a dive team was needed but there were none readily available. A tow truck responded and attempted to pull Chao’s vehicle out of the pond but the cable wasn’t long enough. Eventually, a longer cable was retrieved, but that took several more minutes, the report said.
But at least one of the tow truck drivers expressed fears of being electrocuted since the Tesla is an electric vehicle, said one person at the scene.
However, a witness at the scene told the paper that at least one tow truck driver claimed to be concerned about the electric vehicle electrocuting him.
At 12:56 a.m., a two-person crew pulled Chao from the vehicle. EMS attempted to revive her for more than 45 minutes but to no avail.
Up to now, details about the incident have been sparse.
The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office last week called it “an unfortunate accident,” but authorities were still conducting a criminal investigation nonetheless.
“Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity,” the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Thursday letter to state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“This incident was not a typical accident,” the agency added.
According to The Post, Jim Breyer, a venture capitalist and a co-owner of the Boston Celtics with an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion, owns the ranch where Chao passed away.
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