A 37-year-old man drowned after rescuing two children who were struggling in the waters of a Pennsylvania state park, authorities say.
The Bucks County Coroner’s Office announced that Marvin Alexan Fernandez Chicas died from drowning Thursday evening. Chicas “disappeared in the water” after saving two children at Nockamixon State Park.
Chicas reportedly noticed the children struggling at Tohickon Creek at around 5 p.m. He dove in the waters to bring the kids back to shore but drowned.
Haycock Township Fire Chief Harry Grim reported that around 10 divers were deployed to search for Chicas, according to WFMZ. Divers recovered Chicas’ body two hours later.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources prohibits swimmers from entering Tohickon Creek.
Swimmers are also barred from swimming in Lake Nockamixon, which is the largest lake in Bucks County at 1,450 acres.
Grim told WFMZ that swimmers often mistake parts of the creeks and lakes as shallow when they can be very deep along the shore.
“Unfortunately, people don’t follow the rules, and the sad reality is it’s not a smooth, gradual slope under the water, and they step off into a deep area, they take a gulp of water and they die, unfortunately. It shouldn’t happen, but it does,” Grim said.
“Don’t swim in Lake Nockamixon,” Grim said. “It’s zero visibility this time of year. Divers at 10 feet cannot see their own hands in front of their face.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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