21-year-old man dies trying to save young girl
A 21-year-old man drowned on Saturday while trying to rescue a teenager in distress in Lake Waxahachie in Texas.
A family is mourning the death of a Texas man who drowned when he jumped into a lake to try to save a young girl in distress, police said.
A 21-year-old man died at around 12:45 p.m. Saturday at Lake Waxahachie in Waxahachie, Texas, while trying to rescue the girl, who was part of a large church group from Garland, Texas, Waxahachie police said in a Facebook post.
The girl was eventually pulled from the water by a boater from Red Oak, Texas, and revived after CPR was performed, police said. She was taken to a hospital for further medical care.
The man was recovered from the lake and also taken to a hospital, but according to the social media post, his death was soon confirmed. Police did not release the young man’s name.
“The Waxahachie Police Department, along with the entire community, would like to extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family,” the Facebook post said.
The Tarrant County coroner identified the man as Lincer López, WFAA reported. USA TODAY contacted the coroner’s office on Monday but did not receive a response.
GoFundMe created for drowning
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Lincer Mejía López, identifying him as the man who drowned in Lake Waxahachie at 12:45 p.m. Saturday. The page is asking for the public’s help to raise money to transport López’s body to his hometown of Chiapas, Mexico, where “his loved ones are waiting for him.”
According to GoFundMe, López was the oldest of seven siblings.
“All friends wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of LINCER MEJÍA LÓPEZ. Thank you for your support and expressions of affection towards his family. GOD BLESS THEM,” the description of the donation page reads.
The GoFundMe campaign, which has a goal of $25,000, has already raised over $13,200.
“He was a hero”
López’s family and friends told WFAA that he was at Lake Waxahachie that day to be baptized. Shortly after the church members were baptized, the young girl who was with the group began drowning, prompting López to jump into the lake and rescue her, the Dallas-based television station reported.
Jacobo López said his nephew was so excited about his baptism that he couldn’t sleep the night before.
“He was a hero,” Jacobo López told WFAA. “He didn’t think twice about saving someone else. He didn’t think about the risk that he could die. And he risked his life to save someone else’s.”
López also sent the money he earned from his construction work to his siblings in Mexico, Jacobo López told WFAA.
“He had just been baptized and had dedicated his life to the Lord. Our family, we pray for his family and we pray for the little girl’s family,” Jacobo López told the television station. “And he was a strong boy, they should be very proud of him.”
