Man dies after rescuing 2 kids from drowning in prohibited area of New Jersey river
MAYS LANDING, NJ - A man has died after authorities say he rescued two boys from drowning in a New Jersey river on Wednesday afternoon.
Officials say two boys, 8 and 12, went swimming in a prohibited spot of the river that runs through Weymouth Furnace in Hamilton Township.
It's believed Pablo Hernando Cruz, 49, saw the boys struggling to swim and entered the river to rescue them.
Authorities say he managed to push the children to shore and then submerged under the water until he was pulled out by first responders and witnesses.
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Father, son find man unconscious after he rescued 2 kids in New Jersey river: "It's a common occurrence'
A father-son duo is recounting the events leading up to them helping officials pull a man out of a forbidden river in New Jersey after the man helped rescue two kids who were struggling in the dangerous water.
Cruz, a Mays Landing resident, was pronounced dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital.
The 12-year-old was treated and released from a local hospital, according to authorities, and the 8-year-old was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson extended his condolences to the Cruz family, and urged park visitors to "heed the warnings" about swimming in the river.
"The water is deep and can be dangerous for swimmers which is why we prohibit swimming," Levinson said. "We don’t want any family to have to deal with this type of tragedy."