GALVESTON, Texas – The 13-year-old twin brothers who drowned in Galveston Sunday had recently been brought from Honduras to Texas to live with their parents.
Peter Davis, Chief of Galveston Beach Patrol, said the boys’ parents first came to work and save money, then brought their children.
Authorities said the brothers, Jefferson and Josue Perez, were last seen on the west side of the pier at 4:30 p.m.
Family members called police around 5:30 p.m. after the boys disappeared but said that no one saw them go under water.
“The information that we got is they were between waist and chest deep water and they around 4 feet tall,” Kirwin said.
The Coast Guard and Galveston Island Beach Patrol responded, along with police, fire, and EMS, and searched the area. The Beach Patrol/Jesse Tree Survivor Support Network was also called for assistance and provided emotional support and resources to the family.
Officials said the teens did not know how to swim. It was later learned that the twins were caught in a rip current on the left side of the Pleasure Pier, police said.
The body of the first twin was found on Tuesday by people at 28th and Seawall, a few blocks from where the boys went missing, just before 2 a.m., according to Lieutenant Austin Kirwin with Galveston Island Beach Patrol.
On Thursday, Kirwin said the body of the second twin was found by a local citizen walking about 10 feet from the shoreline. The Galveston Beach Patrol, EMS, Galveston police and fire fighters responded and confirmed the body matched the description of the remaining missing twin.
Kirwin said the family has been notified.
Visit GalvestonIslandBeachPatrol.com to learn more safety information and tips about Rip currents.