Man Who Died While Saving Drowning 1-Year-Old Son Identified By Police

The remains of a California man who jumped into San Joaquin River, around 40 miles south of Sacramento, to save his one-year-old son were identified Monday.

“On March 29, 2019, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and numerous other agencies responded to an area of the San Joaquin River for reports of a small child who had fallen out of a boat while fishing with family members. It was reported the child’s father dove into the water in an attempt to retrieve the child,” Sacramento County Sheriff Shaun Hampton said in a press release.

The man was identified as Moua Lo, 41, from Stockton, California. He dove into the river in a bid to save his son, Marcus, who fell overboard during the family trip. Lo, unlike his son, was not wearing the life vest when he went into the water. After their father failed to resurface, Marcus’ 10-year-old sister dialed 911.

“Crews [including United States Coast Guard and the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team] responded and located two young children drifting in the boat and also located the one-year-old child who was wearing a life jacket and floating in the river,” the release said. The first responders were, however, unable to locate the father of the children.

The child initially did not have a pulse. Life-saving measures including CPR was performed on the child and was eventually taken to a nearby dock, where a California highway patrol helicopter was waiting to transfer the child to a local hospital. Although the child was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition, his family members told Fox 40 that his condition stabilized. He was yet to get discharged as of Monday.

The search for the missing man got difficult due to heavy rainfall and runoff in the region resulting in an increased the river's flow.

“The search [for Lo] continued with multiple agencies using specialized sonar units, boats, grounds crews, ATV’s and canines. On Sunday, April 7, 2019, while crews were searching the area, they were advised a fisherman located a body in the San Joaquin River,” the release stated.

After multiple rescue teams assisted Sacramento Coroner’s Office with the recovery of the body, an autopsy was carried out and the remains were positively identified as Lo’s. The victim’s family was notified regarding the update.

“Our family would not have endured the immense shock and sorrow without the kindness and compassion of all those who stood with us. Even though we lost a great husband, father, son, brother, leader and friend, we will never forget all of you who deeply impacted our lives. This week-long search could not have been endured without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” the victim’s family said in a statement.