Lonnie Hancock, a veteran from South Carolina, lost his life attempting to save a 13-year-old kid from drowning. Hancock, a father of four, spent twenty years in the Navy.
It was his 43rd birthday on the day of the tragedy. WLTX reports the teenager was fishing with his family on Saturday when he stumbled on rocks and fell into a river in Ridgeway, per the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
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Among those who dove into the water to rescue the teenager were Hancock and 21-year-old Valentin Quiroz. According to WLTX, both ended up dying. Authorities said that after the boy slipped into the water, his father and Quiroz instantly jumped in to save him.
Hancock, who was close, also jumped in. According to Sheriff Lee Boan, an off-duty police officer and an Army soldier saw the incident and joined in rescuing the boy. They succeeded in bringing the child out of the water. Quiroz and Hancock had disappeared beneath the water by then.
“These men didn’t hesitate,” Boan said. “They saw someone in trouble and they jumped in. That’s what heroes do.”
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Gary Mallot, who witnessed the rescue, told WIS, “At first we thought it was just kids playing in the water and then we heard a lady scream and then we knew something was going on and it was bad.”
After the teenager was rescued, search efforts continued for Hancock and Quiroz. Both bodies were found separately that weekend.
“They made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Sheriff Boan, who noted that the water temperature was in the low 50s at the time. “Two heroes jumped into the water without hesitation, trying to save a life. That is the definition of hero.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Hancock’s surviving wife, Jessica Yarber, and their four children.
“[He] did not hesitate to jump in to help,” the organizer wrote. “Family, friends, and shipmates let’s all show our love by helping Jess and her beautiful children during this time.”
Meanwhile, the GoFundMe website states that Hancock’s funeral is set for May 22.
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