A man died Saturday morning after he jumped into a river to rescue a little boy at Sequoia National Park, according to park officials.
A family went for a morning walk down to the river near the Sequoia entrance. That's when a 5-year-old boy slipped into the river, prompting a 22-year-old man who was with the family to jump in after him.
The parents and three fishermen nearby also jumped in and assisted in getting the parents and the child out of the water, but the man who went in after the boy did not resurface, officials said.
It took officials around two hours to retrieve the man's body.
The relationship between the man and the family was not immediately clear, and officials have not released the names of the people involved.
One of the fishermen and the boy's father performed CPR on him and he was later transported to a hospital. His condition is unknown.
The incident is a second river fatality within two weeks at the park, according to officials.
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“The issue is not people trying to swim. People and children fall and slip into the river, and family members jump in after them to try to save them. In both cases, the family members who jumped in after the children did not survive.” said Sequoia District Ranger Dave Fox.
Fox warned parkgoers to watch out for slippery rocks along the river.
“The rocks are super slick on the river’s edge, and people should avoid getting close to the water. Please enjoy the river from a safe distance and away from the slippery rocks," he said.
