Man found dead in San Antonio River remembered as ‘exceptional’ person with bright future

SAN ANTONIO – A man found dead earlier this week in the San Antonio River is being remembered as an outstanding person.

San Antonio police officers were called on Monday morning to the River Walk near Villita and Nueva streets, where a man’s body was found.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified him as Zion Cook, 21.

“(Family members) are taking it pretty tough. It’s a shock,” George Cook, Zion Cook’s great-uncle, told KSAT on Thursday morning.

George Cook said the family is still coping with the loss of someone who they believe had a bright future.

Zion Cook was a Roosevelt High School graduate and had recently been working toward becoming an architect.

“He just recently graduated from (San Antonio College), and he just finished his semester at Texas Tech,” his great-uncle said.

George Cook described Zion as someone who was “fun to be around” and eager to help other people.

Demonte Alexander, who had served as a mentor to Zion Cook, called him “exceptional.”

“Just a very, very good kid,” Alexander said. “Great head on his shoulders, and was looking forward to a very, very promising career.”

Alexander, who previously appeared on KSAT’s election night power panel, got to know Zion Cook as a 2022 recipient of a scholarship offered by his Blackbird Golf organization.

He said Zion Cook would often ask for his advice on how to best use the scholarship money and what next steps to take toward his career.

“A lot of times when you graduate, you don’t have experience, so you try to work an internship somewhere in the architectural space,” Alexander said. “He always took initiative. He was always the one calling me, asking me questions.”

Family and friends are now left with their own questions.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, so far, has not determined the cause or manner of Zion Cook’s death.

SAPD confirmed Thursday morning that he was the subject of a missing person report filed by relatives on June 28.

Police said the case, which was listed in a police report as a “sudden death,” is still under investigation.

George Cook told KSAT he did not know the circumstances surrounding Zion Cook’s disappearance or what led other family members to file the missing person’s report.

“I had no idea why he was downtown,” George Cook said. “I’m just waiting for some answers.”

More coverage of this story on KSAT: