Fort Worth man who drowned while saving 2 kids in trouble hailed a hero
FORT WORTH, Texas - The family of a father of three who died in a drowning in the Trinity River in Fort Worth says he died a hero.
On Sunday, 38-year-old Pascual Torres jumped into the river at Gateway Park to help two children who were in trouble. He managed to get both of them back on dry land, but he never resurfaced.
Torres’ family says he had no hesitation when he saw two young boys struggling to swim.
Valerie Perez says the most painful part of the past 48 hours has been his brother-in-law’s kids asking when dad will be home.
Torres lived and worked in Fort Worth in order to provide for his wife and three children in Mexico.
"Like he knew how to swim. Why did this happen? Like how did it happen? But it all just happened so quick," Perez said.
Sunday was supposed to be a relaxing day at Gateway Park.
Perez says their family was fishing along the West Fork Trinity River when all of a sudden two little boys they didn’t know started struggling to keep their heads above water.
Torres immediately jumped in the river to help.
"He of the kids to shore. Then he went back in right away. He threw the little boy and went back in to get the other one," she recalled. "The second one he put on his back. When he put him on his back, that’s when he went up and said, ‘Help me! Help us!’"
Perez says Torres was able to throw the second boy closer to the bank. But that’s when Torres went underwater and didn’t come back up.
The two children survived.
While Perez called 911, a FOX 4 viewer sent us cell phone video from Sunday of the helicopter searching from above.
Man jumps into Trinity River to save child, does not resurface, officials say
Fort Worth crews were told a middle-aged man jumped into the river to save a child and never resurfaced.
Following an hours-long search Sunday evening, the Fort Worth Fire’s dive team recovered Torres’ body in deeper water.
Perez was then forced to pick up the phone and call his family in Mexico.
"Now what do we tell a 3-year-old. A 3-year-old doesn’t understand your dad is a hero. Your dad was doing something good. And out of something good, it became a tragedy," she said.
Perez says she hasn’t heard any update on the two boys saved. She just knows they are alive. Now, she’s trying to raise money to send Torres’ body back to Mexico.