A man lost his life Thursday while rescuing two children who reportedly got into trouble while swimming at an eastern Pennsylvania state park, according to officials.
37-year-old Marvin Chicas jumped into action when he noticed the two children apparently struggling in the Tohickon Creek’s cliffs area around 5 p.m., reported NBC. Chicas successfully managed to bring the children to shore but he was unable to save himself.
A man drowned while rescuing two children in the waters of Nockamixon State Park in Pennsylvania. He noticed the children struggling and dove in to save them, but tragically drowned. Swimmers are prohibited from entering Tohickon Creek, where the… https://t.co/xxdxst04Yh
— AM1_NEWS (@am1_news) July 2, 2023
A search operation led by Fire Chief Harry Grim of Haycock Township and approximately 10 divers took two hours before they located Chicas’ body. The Bucks County Corner’s office confirmed Chicas’s death by drowning. (RELATED: ‘Hero With A Backpack’: France Lauds Man Who Intervened To Save Children Amidst Stabbing Attack)
Authorities emphasized swimming is strictly prohibited in both Tohickon Creek and Lake Nockamixon. “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 told WFMZ.
“Don’t swim in Lake Nockamixon,” Grim continued. “It’s zero visibility this time of year. Divers at 10 feet cannot see their own hands in front of their face. So the chances of us finding them and being able to retrieve them and have them recover are pretty much slim-to-none.”
This is reportedly the second death in June in the area. Nine-year-old Joey Malcolm Jr. died June 19 after he entered a pond near his home and drowned.