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A California man has died after rescuing a five-year-old from drowning on Saturday at the Sequoia National Park in California in the US.
Victor Mozqueda (22), from Santa Clarita in California, was on a visit to the park with his family when Vincent Gonzalez slipped and fell into the river as the family walked along its bank, The Sun reports.
“He was the first one to jump in,” Victor’s uncle, Ivan Gonzalez, said. He added that even though Victor couldn’t swim, he didn’t hesitate to jump in to rescue the little boy. The boy’s parents jumped in right after.
"It was about four or five people in the water trying to reach them. A fisherman and a marine also jumped in," Ivan said.
The currents were too strong and Victor and the child went under several times while trying to escape the rushing water. During the entire ordeal Victor never let go of the boy, CNN reports.
Victor was able to push Vincent towards his parents just before he went under for the last time. Bystanders gave the boy CPR before paramedics flew him to hospital in a helicopter where he was in a critical condition and unresponsive for four hours. The boy is now awake and recovering, reports the New York Post.
It took rescuers two hours to find Victor’s body and his family has set up a GoFundMe page to collect money for funeral costs.
“He loved playing his guitar, singing, soccer and hiking,” Victor’s sister Maria said.
“Victor was a happy person, humble, caring, loving, respectful, laid-back and friendly. He loved going outdoors and being next to nature,” she added.
Sources: thesun.co.uk, edition.cnn.com, nypost.com
