Gary Simard, Methuen, Massachusetts father of four drowns trying to save son from Salisbury Beach rip current as waters started to rage.
A 44 year old Massachusetts man has been hailed a hero after rushing into water in a desperate bid to save his struggling son from a dangerous rip current, only to drown.
Gary Simard, a father of four hailing from Methuen, Mass. had been enjoying the day with family at Salisbury Beach Wednesday afternoon when his 12 year old son was pulled away from shore.
The child started calling for help and Simard ran into the water to help.
‘The best father ever’
Two Good Samaritans ran into the water and brought four children back to the beach but could not find Simard. Police and firefighters responded and were able to pull Simard in after the man having been in the water for 20 minutes. Responding EMTs performed CPR on the beach.
Simard was then rushed to the hospital, but later died. All four children survived.
Linda Simard, Gary’s mother, described him as ‘the best father ever.’
‘He died trying to save his son,’ she told WBZ News. ‘My son is a hero. He saved his son and he lost his life for that, but he is my hero.’
Simard’s father, also named Gary, described the heart wrenching decision the Good Samaritans faced.
‘The gentleman who went out had a decision, I guess – to save my grandson or my son. He made the right decision because he almost didn’t make it,’ the elder Gary Simard said, adding that his son died a hero. ‘We don’t know why it happened, what god’s purpose is, but he did what he had to do and I feel if he had to do it again, he would.’
Kenny Crosby helped pull the boy out of the water.
‘The kid was going further, and then the dad was running out. Then the dad was also yelling ‘Help.’ I had no choice I had to run out there,’ Crosby told Boston 25 News. ‘Small, teenage kid. His dad looked like he was struggling. The kid grabbed my hand. We started swimming, and I don’t know. It was just like survival mode.’
Adding, ‘We swam out to the kid. We were over our heads and it was too much. It was too much.’
Why was the beach open?
A witness said the waves were between four to six feet high, NBC 10 Boston reported.
Police said the surf has been rough in recent weeks following recent hurricane activity. It remained unclear whether the area hadn’t been cordained off or warnings issued along the shore.
In 2022, there were 69 deaths in the United States due to rip currents, according to the National Weather Service. In June, a father died trying to save his teenage daughter from a rip current at the Jersey Shore.
If caught in a rip current, authorities warn it is important to remain calm and not fight the current. To escape the current, swim parallel to the shoreline and return to shore swimming at an angle when out of the current.
