Gary Simard, a 44-year-old father of four, died on Wednesday while trying to rescue his son from the clutches of a dangerous riptide in Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts (USA).
The fateful incident occurred while the Simard family was enjoying a day at the beach in northern Massachusetts. Gary’s son was swimming in the ocean when a strong current caught him and pulled him out to sea and endangering his life.
The young man’s desperate cry for help alerted his brave father. who immediately jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to save his son. Two passers-by managed to get the son safely to shore, but Gary Simard remained trapped in the water for more than 20 minutes and awaited a tragic fate.
The Simard family He called him a true hero who lived for and for his four children. The tradition of bringing his children to Salisbury Beach, passing on a custom he had experienced with his family, was a fundamental part of his life.
Linda Simard She emotionally described her husband as “the best father ever” and explained that he “died trying to save his son.” With tears in his eyes, he added: “My son is a hero. He saved his son and sacrificed his life for it, but he is my hero.”
Two other witnesses were present at the time of the dramatic rescue. Robin DiNatale, one of them, told how he heard the boy’s cries for help and how his father ran to the water. Both immediately had problems. DiNatale called 911 when she realized the emergency was unfolding.
Jason Evan Iarossi, another witness, reported his experience and mentioned that the waves were between 1.2 and 1.8 meters high at the time. “We swam towards the boy. We were in deep water and it was too much. It was too much,” he said.
Both witnesses managed to return to shore with the man’s son. Mr Simard, but unfortunately the father was caught in the current for a harrowing period of 20 minutes before they are rescued. Emergency services responded quickly and performed CPR at the scene. However, after being rushed to Seabrook Emergency Hospital, Gary Simard was pronounced dead.
Simard’s father, also named Gary, expressed his deep sadness and reflected on the difficult decision facing the man attempting the rescue: to save his grandson or his son. Ultimately, the decision to save the young man was the right one, but he was on the verge of death.
