Jerimiah Israel/FacebookA man has drowned after trying to save his dad who walked off their boat after a nap.
Jeremiah Israel, 34, drowned in West Point Lake in Georgia on Sunday night and his body was recovered by authorities on Monday, LaGrange Daily News reports.
Troup County Sheriff Sargeant Stewart Smith said Jeremiah and his dad were fishing on the lake on Sunday night, before they tied the boat to a bridge and went to sleep.
Jerimiah Israel/FacebookDuring the night, it is believed Jerimiah’s father woke up and headed to towards the bathroom, however he mistakenly believed he was in his own home, and fell from the boat.
Smith said Israel jumped in the water to rescue his dad, but he didn’t resurface from the water.
A group of boaters nearby saw the incident and rushed to rescue the father, helping him back into his boat. He was taken to West Georgia Medical Center and later released, Smith added.
Jerimiah Israel/FacebookJerimiah’s body was later recovered from the lake at around 10.47am on Monday. The incident is now being investigated as an apparent accidental drowning by Georgia’s DNR.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has released some advice on what to do if you ever find yourself unexpectedly in water.
Around half of people who die at sea have slipped, tripped or fallen into the water, according to the institution. If you ever find yourself in that situation, the charity recommends taking a minute to get over the initial shock of being in cold water, which can cause people to gasp and panic.
Jerimiah Israel/FacebookIt takes less than a minute for the initial shock to subside, so the RNLI says don’t try to swim straight away.
First, relax and try to float on your back while you catch your breath, meanwhile see if you can grab onto anything that assist floatation.
Once you’re calm, you can call out for help and swim for safety, if you’re in a position to be able to do so.
Jerimiah Israel/FacebookJerimiah will no doubt be remembered for selflessly risking his own life trying to save his dad. However the RNLI says if you see someone in trouble in the water, you should never enter yourself as many people die trying to save others.
Instead you should throw them something that floats and – in the UK – call 999 or 112, and ask for the coastguard.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.