Dad Makes Fatal Leap Into River to Help Daughter

12-year-old makes it out of the water safely
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 19, 2019 3:50 PM CDT
Man Drowns After Jumping Into River to Save Daughter
A bench sits near the edge of the North Santiam River at the North Santiam State Park near Lyons, Ore. The North Santiam River is a tributary of the Santiam River.   (AP Photo/The Statesman Journal, Alisha Roemeling)

A man who spotted his 12-year-old daughter struggling in the water drowned when he jumped into Oregon's Santiam River to save her. The girl was able to make it out of the water safely, CBS News reports. Bystanders pulled out Baltazar Tellovelasco, 29, of Oxnard, California, but he couldn't be revived. The accident happened Thursday at the Little North Fork of the river, near Lyons.

The spot, in Santiam Canyon, can be tricky, per the Salem Statesman Journal. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says the water can be cold, even on warm days, and swimmers sometimes don't realize how deep it is. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 10 people a day drown in the US, not counting boating accidents, per CNN. (More drowning stories.)

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