There's nothing quite like a father's love. A dad made the ultimate sacrifice to save his son after he fell into a river in Texas during a Memorial Day fishing trip.
The 41-year-old and his 13-year-old son were enjoying some bonding time. But that quickly turned to tragedy. According to CBS affiliate KXII, the 13-year-old boy fell into the Red River while fishing. Without hesitation, his dad dove in to save him. Fortunately, the man was able to save his son. He successfully pushed him onto the bank from the water.
Sadly, this appeared to have used all of his strength. After saving his son from the water, the dad got caught in the river's current. He dragged him away, and he never resurfaced. Sadly, rescue teams ended up finding the man's body floating down the river. They also rescued the man's son from the scene as well.
Dad Drowns Saving His Son From River
Grayson County Sheriff's Office and Denison Police Department haven't revealed the identity of the dad who died. Intitially, rescue crews thought the boy was the one in trouble. Apparently someone had called about the boy going into the water. When they arrived at the scene, they realized the dad was actually the one missing.
"The guys got the swift water boat, they got into rescue mode, headed down there as fast as they could, put a boat in the water," Deputy Fire Marshal Landon Lindsey told KXII. "Come to find out, the child had been rescued by his father, and the father was now the one that was unaccounted for and went under."
Sadly, neither one of them were wearing life jackets. It's possible this precaution could have saved the man's life. As for the current, you can blame the dam's floodgates being open. This created a hidden danger in the water. It's something that Lindsey is hopeful that other swimmers pay attention to and learn from.
"Even if you're a strong swimmer, it could drag you all the way downstream, and you may tire out by then, and you're in trouble," Lindsey told KXII.
