Rogers Officer Dies After Diving Into Elk River to Save Fiancée Hours After Proposal

Fred Marsh, 24, a recently sworn officer with the Rogers Police Department, drowned in Missouri's Elk River on July 18 after jumping into the water to rescue his fiancée, family members and officials said.

The group had been canoeing near Noel, Missouri, when Marsh's fiancée, Hailey, slipped from the boat and was swept by a strong current as she tried to climb back in. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Hailey's mother, Sheryl Padgett, both Marsh and another Rogers police officer jumped into the river and pulled Hailey to safety.

Padgett and state investigators said Marsh became exhausted while in the current, went underwater and did not resurface. His body was later recovered and he was pronounced dead on Sunday.

"They had been together for three beautiful years, and they had a very beautiful, loving relationship," Padgett said. "Even though legally he was not my son-in-law, he will forever be my son."

"He saw the love of his life in distress, and he was going to help his friend and do what a good human would do. He gave his life helping someone else."

The Rogers Police Department confirmed Marsh died while trying to rescue someone who was drowning. Marsh had joined the department in April after graduating from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, officials said.

On Monday, a funeral procession carried Marsh's body through communities in northwest Arkansas, where residents lined the streets to pay their respects. A GoFundMe organized by Hailey's sister had raised nearly $2,000 to help the family.

Marsh's family will make funeral arrangements as the community and colleagues mourn the loss of an officer who lost his life while saving another.