Officer Fred Marsh, 24, proposed to his girlfriend hours before a canoe trip on Missouri's Elk River. When Hailey struggled in the current, Marsh and another officer pulled her to safety, but Marsh was swept away and drowned. A motorcade honored Marsh as his family prepares funeral arrangements, and a GoFundMe set up by Hailey's sister is raising funds to cover immediate expenses. Marsh had graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in April and was in his first year with the Rogers Police Department.
Rogers Officer Proposed Hours Before Drowning While Saving Fiancée From Elk River
Officer Fred Marsh, 24, of the Rogers Police Department proposed to his girlfriend, Hailey, the morning of a canoe trip on Missouri's Elk River. What began as a joyful engagement quickly turned tragic when powerful river currents swept Marsh away after he helped pull Hailey to safety.
Officer Marsh proposed to her just hours before his tragic death gofundme
The incident. According to family and local reports, Marsh proposed early Saturday before the couple joined friends for a canoe outing. When Hailey entered the river and began struggling against the fast-moving current, Marsh and a fellow Rogers officer immediately entered the water and were able to get her to shore. The current then pulled Marsh under; he was swept away and did not resurface.
The couple had been together for three years gofundme
"He proposed to my daughter on the day he passed away, early that morning, and he made her his fiancée," said Hailey's mother, Sheryl Padgett.
Community response and funeral plans. On Monday a motorcade carrying Marsh's body traveled through Northwest Arkansas as members of the community lined the route to pay tribute to the fallen officer. Marsh's family is handling funeral arrangements and officials and loved ones expect a large turnout of fellow officers, former classmates and childhood friends from across the state.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Marsh family
Support for Hailey. A GoFundMe campaign was organized by Hailey's sister, Kourtlin Ricketts, to help cover immediate expenses after the sudden loss, including housing, bills and other unforeseen costs. Ricketts wrote that Hailey is now facing overwhelming financial and logistical needs following Marsh's death.
A GoFundMe was created by Hailey's sister, Kourtlin Ricketts gofundme
About Officer Marsh. Marsh graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in April and was serving his first year with the Rogers Police Department. He played college baseball at Ecclesia College, where teammates remembered him as a "God-fearing man" who was "there for everybody." Padgett said she and Marsh formed a close bond after connecting over prior family losses; she called him "son," and he called her "mama."
Legacy. Friends, family and colleagues have described Marsh as devoted and selfless. His actions that day—proposing to his partner and attempting to save her life—have drawn widespread sorrow and tributes across the community.
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