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A U.S. Navy sailor died after heroically rescuing his two children who were struggling in high surf in Waiapua‘a Bay, Hawaii, on Saturday.
Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jeffrey Diaz, 47, of Florida, entered the water on Saturday, November 22, at about 3 p.m. after noticing the boys in distress.
Both of those children were Diaz’s sons. They were swimming when one, aged 9, got pulled out to sea by a strong wave.
- U.S. Navy sailor Jeffrey Diaz died after heroically rescuing his two sons from high surf in Waiapua‘a Bay, Hawaii.
- Diaz saved both boys but struggled in the water and died the day before his 48th birthday.
- His wife described Diaz as a soulmate and family hero who gave love, strength, and memories.
- Emergency responders tried lifesaving efforts immediately, but Diaz was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Jeffrey Diaz died after saving his two children from high surf
Image credits: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Diaz managed to help the boys make it back to shore safely, but he encountered difficulty in the water.
His wife Keyonna Fairley told Hawaii News Now that her husband told their oldest child to head back to shore while he swam out to save their youngest.
“From what my son said, he was in the middle of the ocean and his dad was swimming with one arm trying to get him to safety,” Fairley, a retired Navy chief, recalled.
“Then he got on his dad’s back and swam for a little bit and then my son said that Jeff told him, ‘Ok bub, you’re going to have to get off my back. I’m going to drown.’”
Image credits: Kiki Fairley/Facebook
“‘I want you to go. I want you to swim. Don’t stop. You got this. Don’t give up. I love you.’ That was the last words he heard from his dad,” she added.
In a touching tribute on social media, Fairley described Diaz as her soulmate.
“The world shifted. I lost my soulmate. Our children lost their hero. A precious granddaughter lost her GPaw. A mother lost her son,” she wrote.
“Siblings lost their brother. Family lost a prankster. Friends lost a true friend. The Navy lost a loyal shipmate. Jeffrey ‘Jeff’ Diaz, thank you for giving me 18 years of real love, strength, and memories that will never fade.”
The Kauaʻi Police Department said first responders were then dispatched to Waiapua‘a Bay, near Shenanigans Bar and Restaurant, after being alerted to a swimmer in distress.
Diaz died the day before his 48th birthday
Image credits: Kiki Fairley/Facebook
Diaz was recovered from the water, and emergency services immediately began lifesaving efforts, but he sadly could not be saved.
He was transported to the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead—a day before his 48th birthday.
Capt. Robert Prince, commanding officer of the Pacific Missile Range Facility where Diaz was stationed, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that they were heartbroken.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of our shipmate and friend, MA1 First Class Jeffrey Diaz and extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and shipmates who are grieving,” Prince said.
Image credits: Kiki Fairley/Facebook
“We are grateful to the emergency responders, sailors, and their family members who provided immediate assistance, and we remain committed to supporting his family and those affected as we navigate this difficult time together,” he added.
While an autopsy is pending to determine Diaz’s exact cause of death, the Kaua‘i Police Department said there is no suspected foul play.
“The Kaua‘i Police Department extends its condolences to the family and loved ones of Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jeffrey Diaz during this difficult time,” the force said in a statement.
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