An emergency team recovered the body of a man who drowned while rescuing his three children from a New Jersey river on Wednesday, police have confirmed.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Thursday, Franklin Township Police Department in New Jersey said that they responded to a 911 call at 2.13pm local time detailing a man — identified as Rolando Camarillo-Cholula — who was in the water of Millstone River, which is located in central New Jersey.
Witnesses to the incident told police that the three children “went into the water and quickly became distressed. The victim went into the water to help, pulled his children to the shallow water, but struggled to maintain his balance.”
Police said that officers who responded to the scene found three children, aged 8, 11 and 13 who were no longer in the water. However, “the children’s father, Rolando Camarillo-Cholula, 42, of South River, was unable to be located.”
Arriving emergency personnel entered the river and attempted to locate and rescue the children’s father, but they were unsuccessful, police said. Around three hours later, at 5.28 pm, divers from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office were able to recover Camarillo-Cholula’s body.
As well as expressing condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim, authorities also issued a reminder about the possible dangers of the river.
“The Franklin Township Police Department would like to remind residents that causeways, lakes, and all waterways can hide dangers like hidden currents, sudden depths, and cold shock. When traveling along the canal and towpath, please look for postings that provide guidance regarding prohibited areas and activities,” police said in the statement.
Last weekend, a California man, Bill Siu,drowned while vacationing with his family in Lake Tahoe, perSFGATE.
According to his wife Alexie Rae Siu, the couple had been riding a jet ski together when they were both knocked off the vehicle and into the water. “We kind of got separated, and all I knew was I had to get to him,” Alexie told the outlet. “I could see him kind of panicking.”
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A press release from theWashoe County Sheriff’s Officein Reno, Nevada, stated that authorities found an unresponsive man in the water.
Both SFGATE and the sheriff’s office reported that Bill Siu was taken to a hospital in Sand Harbor, Nevada, where he was pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office said the matter was being investigated as an accidental drowning.
source: people.com
