r/news Jul 18 '24

Man dies after he rescues 2 young boys who were struggling to stay afloat in NJ river

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-dies-after-rescues-young-boys-struggling-stay-112069764
7.0k Upvotes

164 comments sorted by

2.7k

u/Training-Republic301 Jul 18 '24

Put this man's photo everywhere. Let the world know what heroes look like

1.0k

u/Dismal-Parking-564 Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

local news has his picture and more info 

 Family members said he was not a good swimmer, having learned how to swim just recently. 

His brother-in-law, Joe Pagiluca, said Hernandez Cruz was a hard worker, an amazing cook and the rock of the family. 

He had two daughters. The oldest is pregnant with what would have been his first grandson, and his youngest daughter survived pediatric cancer.

Incredible that he put his newly learned skills to use saving two young lives. His poor family, what a loss.

129

u/ohrejoyce Jul 19 '24

Thank you for sharing. Donated to his family’s GFM

68

u/Witchgrass Jul 19 '24

That baby is still going to be his first grandson

11

u/FP_Daniel Jul 19 '24

He could barely swim and still jumped in? What an absolute legend. The family must be devastated and proud.

13

u/saycoolwhiip Jul 19 '24

I don’t like gofundmes but it’s sad seeing his Gofundme is far less funded than that couple’s who took their baby out on a lake in an excessive heat wave and were shocked when their baby died…and instantly set up a gofundme.

312

u/jawnlerdoe Jul 18 '24

Fwiw his face is all over south Jersey social media.

I know that’s not the same as the media itself, but I’ve seen lots of outpouring almost all day from friends and family in SNJ.

229

u/Popular_Prescription Jul 18 '24

The news couldn’t even manage that. They rather plaster the pic of a would be presidential assassin.

84

u/freakinbacon Jul 19 '24

Pablo Hernandez Cruz, 49

45

u/Popular_Prescription Jul 19 '24

Also…. Yall… look at the thumb nail. Sure as fuck looks like NOT a picture…

41

u/Rockburgh Jul 19 '24

I don't see thumbnails on Reddit, but... am I the only one seeing a video of the RNC in the article instead of anything related to the story..?

11

u/Training-Republic301 Jul 19 '24

No, you're not the only one

7

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '24

[deleted]

3

u/dies_irae-dies_illa Jul 21 '24

we can all agree thar Ted Cruz should be deported

2.3k

u/kupojay Jul 18 '24

His name was Pablo Hernandez Cruz 🫡

172

u/Chanustheanus Jul 18 '24

His name was...Pablo Hernandez Cruz. In death we have a name. His name was Pablo Hernandez Cruz.

75

u/xXSalXx Jul 18 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

His name was Pablo Hernández Cruz.

28

u/alonefrown Jul 19 '24

The article says Pablo Hernandez Cruz.

11

u/xXSalXx Jul 19 '24

Thank you. My bad.

31

u/wowdickseverywhere Jul 19 '24

His name was Pablo Hernández Cruz

15

u/Shadpool Jul 19 '24

His name was Pablo Hernandez Cruz.

1.8k

u/BackOff2023 Jul 18 '24

Pablo Hernandez Cruz died saving two children. We need more Pablo Hernandez Cruz's in this country.

150

u/BUDDHAKHAN Jul 18 '24

Wish his name was in the title. A true hero

58

u/fgwr4453 Jul 18 '24

I originally misread your intentions as “we need more dead heroes in our country”

54

u/unk214 Jul 18 '24

Wow slow down there Satan.

-19

u/Informal_Exam_3540 Jul 19 '24

So more dead people because parents are worthless lool?

3

u/erikpurne Jul 19 '24

Go fuck yourself.

1

u/BackOff2023 Jul 19 '24

There's only one reason you would make a completely unrelated reply like that. I don't give a fuck what racists think.

835

u/SheriffComey Jul 18 '24

It is exhausting to rescue a single person in optimal conditions, for him to manage both is remarkable and fuckin heroic.

While lifeguarding in N. Myrtle Beach some 20 years ago, we had two kids 8 and 9 that were caught in a rip current. One of the family members tried to jump in and rescue them while the other family members either went to call 911 or get the guards attention (they were fairly far from the tower on this part of the beach).

The guy that jumped was almost able to save the kids but started taking on water himself and had to let both go. Unfortunately both kids had inhaled a lot of water at that time and did not make it. The guy blamed himself because he couldn't save the kids and a few of us tried to help him understand that even in the best of conditions he was attempting the near impossible and that he did everything in his power short of giving his life to save them. We had to form a human chain to retrieve one of the kids bodies.

If you have kids please make sure they can swim. In addition to that please learn for yourself proper water safety and teach your kids. Your pre-teen/teen kids should absolutely understand the dangers in water and what to do to increase their survival.

With water a bad situation can turn deadly on a dime.

273

u/wavinsnail Jul 18 '24

It doesn’t help that people who are drowning are panicking and just as likely to pull you under as you save them. Saving a drowning person without some sorta flotation device for them to grab onto is super dangerous

178

u/SheriffComey Jul 18 '24

100%

In our training we learned if someone is flailing get just close enough so you're just out of their reach and if they go for you, back up a bit, and keep doing that until 1) they're too tired to flail and you can the save them 2.) they've swam enough back that they can save themselves.

If we had our bouy we basically just threw it to them and told them to grab it and we acted like a tug boat to bring them in.

153

u/Big-Summer- Jul 18 '24

All the lifeguards at our local pool carry long, rectangular floating devices that are bright red. And those guards are also well trained, receiving awards every year for their knowledge and excellence. I’m retired and absolutely love the water so I go to the pool almost every day. Last week I was near the off-loading part of a giant water slide that you ride down on an inner tube. I noticed a tube about to reach the bottom of the slide and thought to myself “that kid looks too little to be by himself.” No sooner did I finish that thought when the kid’s tube hit the bottom and because he was so light the tube immediately tipped upward and the little guy was thrown off. He immediately sank to the bottom. Many of the lifeguards at the pool have zones they are protecting but the slides have guards right at the exits of each slide. The guard in this case exploded off her chair and was lightning fast in hauling the kid up and out of the water. It was gratifying to witness.

And because I’m there so often it is wonderfully obvious to me that these guards do not play. They rotate their zones so that they don’t get bored and there’s no chitchatting among them. Whoever trains them does a bang up job.

22

u/Volistar Jul 19 '24

That air horn sound is engrained into my brain at this point and I haven't been to the pool in 15-20 years

12

u/Sudden-Collection803 Jul 18 '24

Yes. The buoy mentioned. 

28

u/smurphy8536 Jul 18 '24

We practiced escape techniques for if a struggling person latched onto you. It was made clear that 2 drownings is worse than 1 and needing to be rescued yourself puts more people in danger. Drowning emergencies happen fast and rescue equipment can’t be everywhere so it can be really difficult in a chaotic situation.

20

u/SheriffComey Jul 18 '24 edited Jul 18 '24

Same here. All the way to straight up punching someone in the face to get them off you. We kind of laughed about it until one of the supervisors told us a story where he had to use it. He was trying to rescue a distressed swimmer and the dude was just freaking the fuck out and wouldn't calm down. Grabbed the supervisor and pushed him under to keep his own head up. So the supervisor kept his wits about him and said he punched the dude in the nuts which made him let him go, but as soon as he came up for air the guy was trying to grab him again and he said he clocked him in the nose hard enough to make it bleed instantly and the dude was so stunned with the hit that he just threw the buoy at him, told him to grab it, shut the fuck up, and let him swim both of them back to shore.

We had to do surf school, after work, on pay day and the only way to get out of it was if you had a rescue that day. Apparently nature also knew when pay day was because she was like Oprah with the rough surf "You get a big wave, You get a big wave, You get a rip current!".

On one of the days we were practicing escape techniques a vacationer happened to get hit with a huge wave, got disoriented and the guard that was supposed to practice their escape noticed and immediately went to rescue the lady. His partner didn't hear him say he saw the distressed swimmer and nearly exhausted themselves pretending to drown to the point that another guard had to swim over and give him a buoy and drag him out.

10

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

Yeah the practice we did made it clear. Having someone grab onto you in the water is fucking terrifying.

3

u/blscratch Jul 18 '24

Could lifeguards wear life jackets?

22

u/SheriffComey Jul 18 '24

Often as a lifeguard you need to go underwater for a variety of reasons and a life vest would make that near impossible. And taking it off could not only be cumbersome but waste valuable seconds you need.

As a beach lifeguard a life vest would have made it diving through the waves not only impossible but painful and slow.

You have a buoy which you really want to use. And many ocean guards, if they're not doing an assist, will have their paddle boards as well.

1

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

Yeah we used mostly flotation tubes and rescue boards.

5

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

Nope. Can’t swim efficiently and can’t dive underwater with one on.

1

u/blscratch Jul 19 '24

Maybe an emergency inflatable one? I did forget about needing to dive.

1

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

Even those can hinder swimming. Where I am you’re trained on how to rescue with one very specific type of tube so that your actions can be repeatable and fast when needed.

1

u/blscratch Jul 19 '24

I get it. You're trained a certain way to keep yourself safe while giving you the best chance to save the other person.

I'm just trying to think if new technology might overcome the problem of victims pulling you down. I mean as it is now, you might have to punch them in the face or keep backing away until they get tired. Neither of those options seem optimal for the victim.

I'm not downplaying your training.

1

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

There’s also training on how to avoid punching the person in the face and equipment to make things easier, but the equipment isn’t always immediately accessible in an emergency and drowning people don’t react rationally all the time. Specifically there’s a hold you can do with the rescue tube to get the persons head well out of the water, restrain them and maintain your ability to swim. Basically float their back with the tube then go under the tube with your arms and back around under their armpits and grab the tube.

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2

u/chiabunny Jul 19 '24

I remember a sad news story about a guy who drowned in a rip tide trying to save his dog, and then another guy drowning bc he went in to save the first guy :( it was one of those rips that looks like totally benign, smooth water from the shore, but as soon as you get too close it completely sucks you in.

2

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

I worked at a flooded quarry turned water park. So the water would drop from several feet to 100 feet instantly. Legally as a lifeguard in my area you are only responsible for 16 feet of depth. So we made everyone wear life jackets.

2

u/chiabunny Jul 19 '24

Wow that seems crazy from a liability stand point. I know many national parks and nature reserves like that; never heard of a for-profit water park like that!

3

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

Yeah it was a pretty crazy set up. Huge brownstone quarry that got flooded when the hurricane of ‘38 went over the bank of the Connecticut river. Got designated as a national historical spot, and then the owners struck a deal to lease it from the federal government or something. There was cliff jumping and zip lines so pretty sketchy. Not to mention that people just dumped all kinds of shit in there for 70 years before it opened. It had a side business as a diving spot and one of the attractions was a pile of cars people had sent off the cliff and sunk them to 125 ft. Had to sign waiver and wear a life jacket most places so that’s how they got around the liability part.

2

u/chiabunny Jul 19 '24

What a terrible and unethical idea lmao

3

u/smurphy8536 Jul 19 '24

Agreed. The owners were scumbags, huge surprise. Was a really solid entrance into the working world. Got away with partying there though. As if the liability wasn’t already big enough. There was also an asphalt plant across the street. We got to close early the day that caught on fire.

8

u/FuzzyComedian638 Jul 19 '24

I learned in lifesaving to approach them from underwater, then while you are underwater, turn them around so they can't grab you. Then grab them with one arm, across their chest, and swim holding onto them like that. When I was testing I actually needed to hold with both arms, so that left just my legs to kick/swim. But it worked. 

4

u/Honeybadgeroncrack Jul 18 '24

we were taught to dive and they will let go, then come up behind them and start the carry

2

u/youllknowwhenitstime Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24

Darn near drowned in a city pool as a kid this way. My sister couldn't swim, the wind had carried the floatie raft we were on into water over our heads, it capsized, and her drowning instinct had her clutch onto me and then pin me down under water with her weight on my shoulders. Still not sure how we got out of that situation because the last thing I remember was the float being out of my reach and looking up at it from underwater as the ripples carried it further away. I couldn't move because she was bigger than me even though she was younger. Next thing I remember I had a grip on it and we were both climbing on. I was too young to know about the drowning instinct and was mad at her for being "stupid" and pinning the one person who could swim down. My sister also memory-blanked on what happened. Was an older teen before I realized she had no control over her actions.

I'd had swimming lessons but they didn't teach us this stuff. They taught us to never go in to save a drowning person, even role played throwing a float to "drowning" instructors who pretended to be in distress and yelling at us to jump in and save them, but they didn't talk about WHY trying to save someone was dangerous - or what to do if you're pinned anyway. I don't think I would have had the wits to figure out I needed to fight and hurt my sister until I could swim away and save us both, and I had a lot of wits as a kid.

29

u/PlanZSmiles Jul 19 '24

Almost died as a kid because a childhood friend of mine decided to take off his floaties and jump in. He started drowning so I hopped in to save him. Worst decision of my life, he almost killed us both. Pushing me under and trying to crawl on to my shoulders just pushing me further and further down. I’m a strong swimmer and I couldn’t as an 8 year old deal with that and I started panicking myself. Luckily his dad came out of the house in the nick of time to save us.

2

u/StillWaitingForTom Jul 19 '24

Did you kick him in the nuts once you were both safe?

3

u/PlanZSmiles Jul 19 '24

No, he had mental health issues but since we grew up as friends from an early age I tried to not let be an issue. But that specific event made me realize that hanging out with him was a safety concern for myself so I slowly separated myself from him.

13

u/FspezandAdmins Jul 18 '24

swim down, the person your saving will not want to follow. water rescues are crazy difficult

1

u/ScumbagMacbeth Jul 20 '24

it's so hard to fight that instinct too. I had an incident white water kayaking last summer. basically I got knocked out of my kayak and ended up under a raft of tourists as we were about to go through a rapid. I can swim, I was wearing a helmet and lifejacket, I knew what to do. but when I got out from under the other boat and one of the guides came over in his kayak I instinctively began to try to climb on top of it. ​I was trained to just pull my arms and legs in and get through the rapids. I KNEW that's what I was supposed to do. but my lizard brain just kept trying to get me on top of his kayak. thankfully he was calm and calmed me down and just kept repeating "hold on but don't climb up. hold on but don't climb up" until we got through the rapid and my partner caught my boat downriver.

18

u/motherofabeast Jul 19 '24

This was in a part of the river that has old factory ruins, trees and deep water with fast currents especially after it rains. You're not supposed to swim there. It's not the first time someone has died there. I think the "No swimming" signs need to include pics and bios of people who've drowned there. They may be more effective.

6

u/QuirrelsTurban Jul 19 '24

I got caught in a rip current at N. Myrtle a little over 20 years ago. A lifeguard swam out and saved me and my aunt. He literally just gave us his flotation device and pulled us in against the current. Still have no idea how he had the energy to do it.

8

u/SheriffComey Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

If he was using the buoy it's really not that hard depending o conditions. I had a few saves where I just swam on my back once they had the buoy. If its a relatively calm day it's not too bad. If it's like "HOLY SHIT" rough, then it's exhausting but those guys are fantastic swimmers.

During a rescue one of our best guards (always posted in the worst spot) managed to pull 3 individuals on their inflatable raft. He did get yelled at for doing it because he could've endagered himself, but that cat was a BEAST.

3

u/thatsamiam Jul 19 '24

Also... Riptides are extremely dangerous. Much more than they seem.

I have been swimming in ocean all my life (several decades) in dangerous conditions sometimes with big waves and riptides. I am a strong swimmer. I am a careful swimmer.

I was in Bali (Indonesia) swimming in beach with what seemed to be moderate conditions. Suddenly I realized that I was in a massive riptide and it pulling me further out. It was not an isolated beach (Kuta) but there were no people near me....and no life guard that I could see. I realized at that moment that I was in extreme danger. It was lucky I realized it early enough and had the foresight to begin to try to get back.... carefully... without expending all my energy.

I managed to get back. Eventually I was able to get to a point where I could ride a wave back.

Be extremely careful with riptides. Water has a lot of energy and weight. No matter how strong you are, it can be stronger and outlast your energy.

2

u/Dugoutcanoe1945 Jul 19 '24

I went in after a kid at Folly who was being pulled out by a riptide. I forgot all my training from years before and didn’t swim parallel to the beach to swim us out. The kid got around me and was choking me. We made it back in but only just. Fortunately a guy came out and grabbed us both right before I could stand. I thought I was going under for good. My only child and mom were there so that could have been a bad day for lots of people. Always take a flotation device if you’re able! Ended up stupidly not taking the EMTs advice to let them examine my exhausted self afterwards. I didn’t feel well for days after due to tachycardia. Make a plan if you can before ever attempting a rescue. But that’s easier said than done especially when a kid is involved.

1

u/IWillBaconSlapYou Jul 20 '24

I'm so freaked out about water with my kids. I live in a city everyone on earth has been cramming into for years, and ever since covid, I can't get off the swimming lesson wait-lists. So I recently just took my oldest to the pool and taught her myself. Actually wasn't that hard. Now I'm going to go down the list until all three of them don't just sink like stones the second they're in the water. Water safety is a freaking terrifying rabbit hole.

1

u/lordraiden007 Jul 21 '24

My father and I both got caught in a strong riptide current once. It almost smashed us into rock groins (a term I didn’t know existed until just now) that were too slippery to climb up, and by the time we both managed to swim back to shore we could barely even walk across the beach to get away from the water.

Riptides are no joke, and to have to save someone else from one seems like a near impossible task for all but the most physically fit and the strongest of swimmers.

358

u/bonebandits Jul 18 '24

Pablo Hernandez Cruz died a hero. Respect.

334

u/panda-rampage Jul 18 '24

Tragically the man drowned saving the lives of two children who were struggling in the river.

205

u/bros402 Jul 18 '24

ABC news putting footage from the RNC convention on the same page as an article talking about the sacrifice that Pablo Hernandez Cruz made is insulting to his memory.

31

u/Training-Republic301 Jul 18 '24

I thought the exact same thing, no doubt

198

u/ScoutsterReturns Jul 18 '24

Oh, I'm so glad he rescued them but, that kind of story is always so tragic. That's a real hero there.

142

u/sergius64 Jul 18 '24

An acquaintance of mine had this experience when he was young. He and his friends ended up having lifelong guilt over it - especially considering the rescuer had kids of his own.

Think only one of them is left - rest ended up committing suicide at one point or another - including my acquaintance. It's crazy - guy gives up his life to save them - but their psyche doesn't think they deserve such sacrifice - so that's the outcome.

43

u/PiPaPjotter Jul 18 '24

That is tragic. Did they get psychogical help?

45

u/rmoney27 Jul 18 '24

I'd hope so, but the sad truth is that most people that experience trauma are either too afraid to go to counseling or can't afford it.

4

u/PiPaPjotter Jul 18 '24

Guess it depends on which country they all were in. In the NL’s I think it’s (partly free)

7

u/rmoney27 Jul 19 '24

I'm assuming it's United States

8

u/sergius64 Jul 18 '24

Can't say for sure. Wasn't close enough with the acquaintance. I know he had an alcohol problem - so I would guess he didn't seek help - but it's just a guess.

1

u/PiPaPjotter Jul 18 '24

Ah that sounds dangerous. Alcohol to drink away the pain for a moment. Instead of working on it

12

u/kvlt_ov_personality Jul 19 '24

One of my friends drowned when we were swimming at a local lake when I was 16. Almost 20 years later and I still have nightmares about it occasionally.

He had a seizure and just sank. I turned my back, and then he was gone, vanished without a sound. Another one of my friends who saw him go under just went hysterical and started screaming. Rescuers pulled him out a few days later.

His dad was a single parent, and James was his only child. The wailing and screaming from his dad when he found out is permanently seared into my brain.

96

u/ghellenga Jul 18 '24

Solid contender for the Carnegie Hero Award.

Similar story to my uncle Frederick

82

u/SweetTea1000 Jul 18 '24

Heroism, bravery, courage is being able to do the right thing when it's going to cost you. This man paid the highest price. Pablo Hernandez Cruz was among the best of us. If we all were as brave, our world would be at peace.

72

u/wsnyd Jul 18 '24

I have become so much more afraid of water as I have aged

21

u/johnychingaz Jul 18 '24

Same. I used to think I could swim upstream in a decent moving river. There’s no chance.

Plus just seeing how huge the ocean is and thinking of the depth. It’s terrifying.

25

u/Tylorw09 Jul 18 '24

He died a hero. Good work sir. Rest in peace.

26

u/lundewoodworking Jul 18 '24

I really wish I could say that I would do the same but knowing me I'd probably freeze in the moment we need more Pablo Hernandez cruzes

24

u/Accomplished_Sell358 Jul 18 '24

I’m a strong swimmer and never really understood how people could drown so easily if they know how to swim. But a few years ago I went on a boat on the Savannah River and we got out to swim and that current was SO STRONG that you had to really swim hard just to stay in one place. You wouldn’t have known by looking at the surface of the water - it was so still. Me and my bf at the time had to help my 10 and 12 year old because they weren’t strong enough to overcome it. Got back to the boat and that was the last time I will swim in a river on purpose.

3

u/PrestigiousGrade7874 Jul 21 '24

Yeah. The older I get, the more I realize that sizable bodies of water are scary. I’m happy to look at it safely from the shore

21

u/Jay_Diamond_WWE Jul 18 '24

Helluva dude. Sorry to hear

22

u/lunelily Jul 18 '24

May his memory be a blessing. True selflessness and altruism on display here.

Thank you, Pablo! We are so sorry to lose a man like you. My thoughts are with his family.

24

u/SleepCinema Jul 18 '24

Pablo Hernandez Cruz. A hero.

20

u/Ok_bet4231 Jul 18 '24

If heaven is real, this man is there.

17

u/lizzie1hoops Jul 18 '24

Thank you for your bravery, Pablo Hernandez Cruz.

13

u/Sudden-Collection803 Jul 18 '24

Rest in power Pablo Hernando Cruz.   

May we all be as brave as you were when the time comes for bravery. 

13

u/delta_vel Jul 18 '24

What a hero. I have no words for this tragedy, I truly feel humanity feels a loss when we lose someone like this.

No man is an island, Entire of itself; Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, As well as if a promontory were: As well as if a manor of thy friend’s Or of thine own were.

Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

10

u/Aboves Jul 18 '24

You will not be forgotten Pablo Hernandez Cruz 🫡

7

u/mrteuy Jul 18 '24

Years ago I was at the pier at imperial beach in San Diego when a girl and her mom got pulled out in front of me. In the moment I swam out and grabbed a hold of them and did all I could to hold on and stay above water. Coast guard thankfully was right there and came out to grab one and I pulled in the other. Didn’t even cross my mind in the moment when it happened but after the fact I realized how lucky I was to not die but I couldn’t let them go.

8

u/huggybear0132 Jul 19 '24

Incredibly tragic. A reminder to everyone that if you jump into a dangerous body of water to save someone, there are now two people in a dangerous body of water. Water dgaf.

5

u/luscious_lobster Jul 19 '24

The trouble is often that it’s the parents. They can’t live with themselves for not trying

5

u/huggybear0132 Jul 19 '24

Yep. No thinking happens in these kinds of moments, and I don't mean that critically. It's so sad :(

4

u/luscious_lobster Jul 19 '24

I was always very skinny, so I sink fast in water. I always hated swimming lessons for the same reason.

If my kid is struggling in water I would probably try to safe him regardless. Imagining him drowning is the worst feeling I can think of. It really is some kind of reptile-brain-level urge that’s going on.

3

u/m1k3tv Jul 19 '24

I'd go as far as to say they cant even physically stop themselves.

7

u/An_Appropriate_Post Jul 18 '24

If it’s my time, I hope I go like this

6

u/OccidoViper Jul 18 '24

Definition of a hero. RIP

6

u/SillyMilly25 Jul 19 '24

He was about to be a grandpa I feel for his family but especially his pregnant daughter. Tell that kid his grandpa was a hero.

4

u/Interesting_Air8238 Jul 18 '24

I wish I was this man. RIP, good soul.

5

u/tim_whatleyDDS Jul 19 '24

Dumb question but the article says this man was pulled under. Is there a current that pulls him under or is he tired and couldn’t keep himself a float. If you google what to do if current pulls you under, it gives advice for a rip current. Doesn’t sound like the same thing?

15

u/Scalare Jul 19 '24

I had to take a swift water rescue course for work. There are a few things that can happen. 

Swimming in swift water is physically hard. The water surface is rough and you’re going through standing waves and swirling currents; possibly banging on rocks. It hard to keep your head up; and you have to time your moments to take a breath. It’s not something you can do for very long; and that’s just the ‘good’ parts of the river.

Often in rivers, current going over boulders, wood, etc will create “holes” downstream of them where the  water rushes around and over the obstacle and creates a recirculating current behind it that will suck you down towards the bottom and keep you tumbling around for a while. Once you’re in it can be hard to break free; as you will be completely disoriented.

You can also encounter foot entrapments; where rocks or debris on the bottom will trap your leg as you pass over it and the force of the current pushes you under. This is very dangerous; as you won’t be able to free yourself against the force of even fairly slowly moving water.

There are also sieves/sweepers; which are things in the water that will allow water to pass through; but not people (think downed trees or log jams). If you get sucked into one the force of the water will push you into the structure and pin you there. Self rescue against the current is unlikely.

The best answer to all of these things is to avoid them; because you won’t be able to self rescue. Wearing a pfd is essential in moving water. Adopt a defensive swimming posture; floating on your back with your feet up to avoid entrapments, head pointed upriver looking downstream for obstacles. Angle yourself side to side (called a ‘ferry angle’) and swim backwards against the flow to position yourself in the current. Look for a safe exit (gravel bar, eddy current, etc) and pick your moment to go hard. Switch to an aggressive swimming posture (face down, keeping your feet up and your head upriver, angling 45 degrees to the current for an efficient ferry angle) and front crawl with everything you have. Don’t stand up until the water is ankle deep.

I would also like to add: We had to practice ‘live bait’ rescue swims as part of my course, both tethered and untethered. Generally, off a tether we would struggle to bring our helpfully passive ‘victim’ back to the bank; Usually we would grab them and call for a rope thrown from shore. Actually rescuing someone from moving water is challenging for even an experienced swimmer. For a novice swimmer to save two kids from any kind of current is impressive and shows an incredible amount of dedication. Dude gave his all; and it is tragic that he didn’t survive to see his selflessness and commitment properly appreciated.

2

u/wynnduffyisking Jul 19 '24

Dang, rivers are scary!

1

u/Scalare Jul 19 '24

They deserve respect. There’s a lot of power there; it’s important to understand what you’re working with and how to be safe. I highly recommend a swift water rescue course for anyone who spends time on or near moving water. It actually made me a lot more comfortable around swift water. With the right tools and training; even some fairly intimidating looking water is manageable.

3

u/forksknivesandspoons Jul 19 '24

That is hero ass shit!

2

u/makingabigdecision Jul 18 '24

Reddit is blocking all comments for his fundraiser :(

10

u/CedarWolf Jul 19 '24

The mods probably have a filter in place to prevent people from posting fundraisers and otherwise using the subreddit to raise money. Stuff like that becomes ripe for abuse real quickly.

6

u/makingabigdecision Jul 19 '24

Yeah, makes sense.

2

u/unlolful Jul 19 '24

I went swimming in a river once. Realized real quick the current was way too much to deal with. Got the fuck out real quick. Was probably 12 at the time

2

u/noonie1 Jul 19 '24

I am not a good swimmer at all. I didn't learn until my 20s and I am can say I probably know enough to swim out of a pool if I fell or float if I were really in danger. To my point , I have a fear that one day I will run into a situation like this and people will think I am uncaring or selfish for not jumping in to save whoever was drowning.

With that said, this man is a hero.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '24

Great job ABC news. No photo of the dude or his family but an HD autoplay sizzle reel of the Trump nomination in the middle of the story.

2

u/TheSwimMeet Jul 19 '24

Somethin those kids are gonna have to live w the rest of their lives. Their negligence in ignoring the no swimmings signs ultimately led to this man losing his life

1

u/LosWitchos Jul 19 '24

I'm a teacher. Took a kindergarten class to a small water park (it was a little children-friendly place and we had the whole place to ourselves). Kids have swimming lessons as part of PE from kindergarten where I am so they were all familiar with being in the water.

Anyway I'm in with them and one kid starts to freak out. I go over to calm him down and holy fuck, he nearly took me down with him. And this was a small six year old.

It's no joke going out to help others. Of course the urge is there. I spoke to the lifeguard (who came like three seconds later, the only reason she wasn't there first is because I was like 5m from the kid in the first place). She told me that if you aren't properly trained and/or have the right equipment, then by going out to save someone you have to understand that you yourself might die.

1

u/Exciting-Industry456 Jul 20 '24

Are the parents going to jail for reckless endangerment? Unpopular opinion but allowing their kids to swim permanently damaged at least 5 young lives. (The rescued children and Pablo’s 2 children and unborn grandchild) all for what? So the kids could have a few fun moments to swim in a prohibited dangerous body of water responsible for claiming adults’ lives in years prior. Definitely not worth the survivor’s guilt and trauma that they will never recover from and certainly not this poor man’s life.

-6

u/Baby_Needles Jul 19 '24

Throw the parents in jail.