Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law, Angela Chao, who was recovered from a pond in February after a harrowing accident, has new details being released from investigators on what led to her death.
According to an updated incident report, Chao, 50, who was an international shipping CEO, was at a Texas ranch with seven close friends for a girls’ weekend.
On February 10th, while Chao was returning to her lodge after having dinner and drinks across the property, she accidentally drove her Tesla X into reverse, backing her car into a stock pond. This led to her drowning herself while intoxicated before rescue crews could reach her.
Though an autopsy was not performed on Chao, a toxicology test revealed that her blood alcohol concentration was 0.233, nearly triple the legal limit to drive in Texas.
“After reviewing all of the evidence, it was determined to be an unfortunate accident,” concludes Blanco County Sheriff’s Investigator Adam Acosta in the final report.
Chief Deputy Robert Woodring with the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office said, “Officers had responded to a possible water rescue on a private ranch located in Blanco County, Texas late that night. On arrival Blanco County deputies along with Blanco County EMS and Fire recovered the body of Angela Chao from a pond on the ranch. EMS attempted emergency measures on Ms. Chao but she succumbed from being under the water.”
Though a preliminary investigation determined it to be an accident, the sheriff’s office told Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, that it was not a typical accident and that the office was investigating it as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity.
“Releasing the reports, videos and other information prior to the completion of the investigation would interfere with the investigation and possible prosecution of this matter,” the Sheriff’s Office reportedly wrote late last month.
The final incident report states that Chao called a friend from her vehicle to tell her that she was trapped and that the water was beginning to rise.
Throughout the eight-minute call, Chao maintained a calm tone and concluded that she was going to die before telling her friend “I love you.”
One friend jumped into the pond and another kayaked over the vehicle, but they could not find a way to get her out.
Chao’s vehicle was eventually pulled from the pond and hundreds of gallons of water rushed out, and that resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
Chao was pulled out of the vehicle at 12:56 a.m., and EMS delivered “advanced life support” for 43 minutes. She was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.
Chao was the CEO of dry bulk shipping company Foremost Group, a company founded by her father, Dr. James S.C. Chao, along with her mother, the late Ruth Mulan Chu Chao, in 1964. She attended Harvard Business School, where she wrote a ground-breaking case study on ocean carriers that remains part of the required curriculum for first year HBS students.
Her older sister, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, is married to McConnell. Elaine served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor in the George W. Bush administration and as the Secretary of Transportation in Donald Trump’s cabinet, from 2017 to 2021.
Chao’s death was announced by her family in a statement in February. Writing on behalf of the Chao family, her father, James, called his daughter “a brilliant woman, a charismatic and visionary leader and much-loved by all her sisters, our entire family and friends.”
“As a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, wife and friend, she was unfailingly filial, thoughtful, kind and devoted,” James said. “These qualities were complemented by a spirited personality, exceptional intelligence, compassion for all and a wonderful sense of humor. She kept us laughing and smiling. She believed deeply that the true treasures in life are family, friends and helping others. Losing her at such a young age is something we never even imagined, and our entire family is devastated with grief.”
Weeks after Angela’s death, McConnell announced he would vacate his leadership position as the U.S. Senate’s longest-serving party leader. He still plans to remain in Congress through the end of his term, which expires in 2027.
“As some of you may know, this has been a particularly difficult time for my family,” McConnell said at the time.
“When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there is a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the impact on the world that we will all inevitably leave behind,” he continued.
