Man Drowns While Saving His Two Sons Near Waterloo

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say a 41-year-old man drown while rescuing his two sons from deep water at Two Rivers State Park over the weekend.

Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow says the man drowned Saturday while helping the boys who were being swept downriver. The Douglas County Sheriff’s office identified the man as Joshua Williams.

The boys had tried to walk out to a sandbar where other people were standing but they didn’t realize that the other people had reached the sandbar by airboat. The water got deeper and one of the 10-year-old boys had trouble swimming.

Williams went out to help the boys. One made it to shore and one stayed on some logs in the river. Williams drowned while trying to help the second boy.

Paramedics tried to revive Williams but he did not survive.