Vincent Parr, Lawrence, Massachusetts drowns trying to save wife & their teen son from freak fast moving river in New Hampshire along Swift River after having been in the water for hours.
A 37-year-old Massachusetts father died attempting to rescue his wife and their teen son after they became stuck in sudden ‘fast-moving water’ of a river in New Hampshire, authorities say.
Vincent Parr of Lawrence was pronounced dead Sunday following the incident along the Swift River in Albany, according to New Hampshire State Police. The episode marked the third time in less than a week that someone drowned in New Hampshire, authorities said.
‘They’ve been in the water just enjoying the water in the area for, you know, hours and upon literally one freak incident that one of the family members got stuck in the river, the heroic father jumped in after him to save his son,’ Sgt. Nicholas Haroutunian with New Hampshire Marine Patrol told WMUR.
Selfless dad jumped in without care for self
Investigators said that the family was on the ‘Passaconaway roadside of the Swift River, east of the Albany covered bridge’ in the early afternoon when the mother and child ‘became stuck in an area with fast-moving water.’
Upon seeing the mother and child stuck, the father jumped in an attempt to rescue them only to get caught up in the current himself.
The mother and child made it to shore safely, state police said. Bystanders helped bring the man to the shoreline where CPR was performed, but he was ultimately pronounced dead.
Parr’s effort to rescue someone in trouble was typical of him, his mother, Becca Parr, said Monday.
‘From the day he was born, he was so selfless,’ she said. ‘I know he didn’t think for a moment, ‘I could die,’ he just did what he could. He was a loving soul, kind-hearted and never put himself first.’
Parr’s death came just days after another Massachusetts resident vacationing in the White Mountains National Forest drowned trying to rescue her 10-year-old son who had fallen into a swift current.
Bystanders were able to pull Melissa Bagley’s child to safety, but the 44-year-old woman could not be saved.
