TULARE COUNTY, CA (RNN) – The last act of a young man who couldn’t swim was to push a drowning 5-year-old to safety after the boy fell into a California river.
The family of 22-year-old Victor Mozqueda says his selfless act is no surprise, CNN reports.
"He would always do things for others. That's just the way he was raised," said Ivan Gonzalez, Victor Mozqueda's brother-in-law and 5-year-old Vincent Gonzalez’s uncle.
Victor Mozqueda did not know how to swim, but when Vincent fell into a river Saturday morning at Sequoia National Park, the young man was the first to jump in after him, according to CNN.
The currents were strong, and the two went under several times – but Victor Mozqueda never let go of the boy.
"Some how Victor manage to keep Vincent on top of his head even while he was under water so that Vincent could breath. He never let go of him even when they went down under the currents a few times,” wrote Victor Mozqueda’s sister, Maria Mozqueda, on a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses.
Vincent’s parents and a few nearby fishermen also jumped in but couldn’t reach the boy or his savior.
Finally, Victor Mozqueda managed to push the 5-year-old out of the river – but then, the 22-year-old went underwater for the last time, CNN reports.
The boy’s father and one of the fishermen were able to resuscitate Vincent using CPR, according to KTLA. Paramedics transported him to the hospital.
The 5-year-old is now recovering from the ordeal.
Rescuers retrieved Victor Mozqueda’s body from the river about two hours after the incident, KTLA reports.
The young man’s sister remembers him as “a happy person” who “loved going outdoors and being next to nature.” CNN reports he was an aspiring musician.
The GoFundMe page for Victor Mozqueda’s funeral expenses has nearly doubled its initial goal of $25,000.
Officials with the National Park Service said this is the second incident in the same location in the past few weeks. Both resulted in fatalities, according to the Visalia Times-Delta.
"The issue is not people trying to swim," said Sequoia District Ranger Dave Fox. "People and children fall and slip into the river, 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."
Fox told the Times-Delta that park visitors should avoid getting close to the river because the rocks on its edge are very slippery.
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