Man Killed by Mexican Pirates on Texas Lake

Oct. 2, 2010— -- Search teams are combing a Texas lake for the body of a man who was allegedly shot and killed by Mexican pirates when he and his wife were ambushed after crossing into Mexican waters on their personal watercraft.

David Michael Hartley, 30, and his wife Tiffany Hartley, 29, were attacked on Falcon Lake, near the southern tip of Texas, police said.

Tiffany Hartley told police her husband was shot in the back of the head as the couple fled to U.S. waters.

The gunmen are suspected to be Mexican pirates who have been marauding on the lake, law enforcement officials said.

Hartley fell off his watercraft after he was shot, according to his wife, who told rescuers and police she attempted to circle back to save him, but the gunmen were still firing shots so she had to abandon the rescue attempt.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials said Friday they believed that David Hartley was dead, but his body has yet to be found.

U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Narcizo Ramos told The Associated Press that he didn't know whether Mexican authorities were searching their side.

According to Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr., Tiffany Hartley said she and her husband were returning to U.S. waters after sightseeing and taking photos when they saw armed men aboard some boats.

The couple "observed some boats coming at them at a pretty high rate of speed, noticed that some of the boats were armed so they immediately started, according to her, revving it up and gassing it up to the U.S, side of the border to prevent them getting hurt," he said. "Then, of course, shots started being fired at them.

"She said she was seeing bullets hitting close to her in the water and realized that her husband had been hit behind the head," he said. "She went back trying to find, trying to help him. She went in the water trying toload up her husband to her Jet Ski ... trying to get his body and Jet Ski back to the U.S. side.