- Angela Chao was having a “girls’ weekend” at her Texas ranch when she died, an incident report said.
- Chao called one of the friends she was with as her Tesla was sinking, per the report.
- According to the report, two of the friends swam and kayaked out into the pond to try to find her.
As her Tesla was sinking in a pond just before her death, Angela Chao called her friend she had just had dinner with at her Blanco County, Texas, ranch and told her she loved her, according to a newly released incident report from the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office.
Chao, who was the chair and CEO of the shipping company the Foremost Group, died in the early hours of Sunday, February 11. Chao was also the wife of Jim Breyer, the venture capitalist founder of Breyer Capital, and the sister of former cabinet secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The police report from the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office said Chao was having a “girls’ weekend” at her ranch with a group of close friends when the incident occurred on Saturday, February 10. The group, which included prominent female business leaders, attended a Pitbull concert in Austin on Friday and spent Saturday visiting the ranch, one of the women told police.
The women had dinner that evening at the guest lodge on the property and wrapped up at around 11:30 p.m. local time, according to the report, which cited dinner attendees. Several women told police they were all in good spirits during the get-together.
Footage from cameras on the property showed Chao left the lodge and walked to her Tesla at around 11:37 p.m., with a blanket wrapped around her and her cellphone held to her ear, the report said. A pond on the property was located between the guest house and the main house, according to the report.
Chao, in her Tesla, reversed into and over a limestone barrier wall, entering the water, the report said. Video footage from cameras on the property showed the Tesla then floated to the center of the pond, police said.
At around 11:42 p.m., Chao called one of the friends she had just had dinner with, Amber Landeau-Keinan, and calmly told her she was in the pond, according to the report. After Chao said her feet were underwater, her friend told her to get out of the car.
“In a calm voice, Chao informs Keinan she is not able to get out of the vehicle,” the police report said, citing an interview with Landeau-Keinan. “Chao told Keinan the water was rising and she was going to die and said ‘I love you’ to Keinan prior to the vehicle going underwater.”
The phone call lasted about 8 minutes, Landeau-Keinan told an investigating officer.
Another friend who was at the property, Victoria Garcia, got into the pond and swam toward the Tesla, while Landeau-Keinan got into a kayak and paddled toward the car, according to the report, which cited interviews with the people who were present.
Landeau-Keinan and Garcia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
When law enforcement arrived, Chao and the Tesla had been in the water for about 21 minutes, with the vehicle submerged about 25 yards from the shore, police said. After several failed attempts, responders were able to remove Chao from the vehicle at about 12:56 a.m. local time. CPR was performed, but Chao was pronounced dead at the scene.
A toxicology report later found that Chao’s blood-alcohol concentration was 0.233, almost three times the legal limit.
Breyer, Chao’s husband, said in an emailed statement to BI: “I am heartbroken by this terrible tragedy. I am so appreciative for the remarkable efforts of the many first responders in Blanco County who did everything possible to save my wonderful wife’s life.”
In a statement provided to BI, a spokesperson for James S. C. Chao, Chao’s father, and family said: “Angela’s passing was a terrible tragedy, and words cannot describe the family’s profound grief. The family is grateful for the first responders and friends who tried so hard to save her.”
