A Massachusetts dad and Army vet is being remembered for his bravery after he drowned saving his son and niece from a rip current while on vacation in Florida. Joshua Curtis, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, passed away on April 24 in Fernandina Beach. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help his fam.
Family members told CBS News that the 38-year-old heroically jumped into the water when his 6-year-old son, Owen, and niece got stuck in a rip current. He tragically lost his life while rescuing them. Lance Jones, a local resident who helped save the kids, shared that Curtis was doing everything he could to keep the children above water even as he struggled.
“Not really sure why this matters, but I think he did everything he could to just keep those two kids afloat,” Jones said. “The hardest thing was Owen and just the sheer look of panic on his face. He just kept saying, ‘I can’t swim, I can’t swim, my dad said he’s drowning.’ I said, ‘Hey buddy, I got you, we gotta swim in.’”
According to CBS, Curtis leaves behind his wife and son. The fam from Halifax, Massachusetts was in Florida visiting his hometown and relatives.
“It is with great pride and sadness that we say goodbye to a man that embodies what it means to be a soldier, father, husband and ultimately a hero,” Curtis’s fam said in a statement obtained by CBS.
According to the network, Curtis served in the Army for 15 years and also coached youth football for the Silver Lake Warriors in Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax. The football program expressed deep sorrow over the “heartbreaking loss.”
“Maybe it’s just me, but his selfless actions were a reflection of the man he was—brave, loving, and devoted to those he cared about,” the statement on Facebook reads. “Josh was an Army vet, a fam man, a coach, and a friend to so many in our community. His impact on the Warrior family was immediate and lasting. His son had just completed his first year of football, and Josh was preparing to take on the role of head coach for our Mighty Mites this upcoming season. His passion, leadership, and kindness will be deeply missed on and off the field.”
The GoFundMe page for the fam aims to raise money to support them traveling to and from Massachusetts for Curtis’s funeral. A celebration of his life was held Tuesday night in Florida, according to CBS.
There you have it, folks. A tragic yet heroic story of a man who gave his all to save his loved ones. Not really sure why this matters, but let’s remember Joshua Curtis for his selfless actions and the impact he had on those around him.
