Veteran Lonnie Hancock, 43, and Valentin Quiroz, 21, both died after they jumped into the water to save the teen
A South Carolina veteran died on his birthday while trying to save a 13-year-old boy from drowning, authorities said.
The teen was fishing with his family on Saturday, March 8, when he slipped on rocks and fell into a river in Ridgeway, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said, according to CBS affiliate WLTX and Fox affiliate WACH. Lonnie Hancock, 43, and Valentin Quiroz, 21, were among a group who jumped into the water to save the teen. Both died, WLTX, WACH and WIS reported.
Authorities said that after the boy fell into the water, his father and Quiroz immediately jumped in to save him. Hancock, who was nearby, jumped in soon after, according to WLTX. An off-duty police officer and Army soldier also witnessed the accident and were able to pull the boy out of the water, Boan said, per the outlet. By then, Hancock and Quiroz had disappeared.
“These men didn’t hesitate,” said Boan, according to the outlet. “They saw someone in trouble and they jumped in. That’s what heroes do.”
Two people heard screams and then realized a boy had fallen into the river.
“At first we thought it was just kids playing in the water and then we heard a lady scream and then we knew something was going on and it was bad,” Gary Mallot, who witnessed the rescue, told WIS.
After the teenager was rescued, search efforts continued for Hancock and Quiroz. Both bodies were found separately that weekend, according to WLTX.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“They made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Sheriff Lee Boan, who noted that the water temperature was in the low 50s at the time, according to WLTX. “Two heroes jumped into the water without hesitation, trying to save a life. That is the definition of hero.”
Hancock, who served in the Navy for 20 years, was a father of four, the station reported. The day of the accident was his 43rd birthday.
“There was no thought, no hesitation,” Lance Abernathy, who worked as a high school coach at Chesterfield High, told the outlet about his former athlete. Hancock was an All-Region football player and two-time Top 3 state placer in wrestling, according to the outlet.
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“He saw a kid in trouble and sprang into action, because that’s just who he was,” Abernathy told the outlet. “That’s what he did, and that’s what he knew.”
A GoFundMe page was created in support of Hancock’s surviving wife, Jessica Yarber, and their four children.
“[He] did not hesitate to jump in to help,” the organizer wrote. “Family, friends, and shipmates let’s all show our love by helping Jess and her beautiful children during this time.”
Hancock’s funeral is scheduled for May 22, according to the GoFundMe page.
