An 18-year-old Georgia college student died after saving his girlfriend’s sister from drowning while on vacation with her family in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Daniel Rowe, who just finished his freshman year at Kennesaw State University in the spring, was pulled from the ocean on June 20, according to his family. Rowe had drowned from exhaustion after helping his girlfriend’s 14-year-old sister to shore.
The rest of the group was also on the verge of physical exhaustion when lifeguards arrived and rescued them, Rowe’s girlfriend Kamanny George wrote on a GoFundMe page. Paramedics then arrived and were able to revive Rowe and restore his pulse.
Rowe suffered traumatic brain injuries and was pronounced brain dead following the incident. He died after succumbing to his injuries on July 3. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.
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“God is definitely a God that’s a good God. We will never understand why, but we’re just so thankful that we had 18 years with him,” Rowe’s cousin Nashonie Chang told Fox 5 Atlanta.
Chang described him as very compassionate, caring and someone who is always willing to help look out for others.
Rowe died after he and the group caught a rip current. He is at least the fifth person from Georgia to die in rip currents this year, with several of these victims dying as they attempted to save others, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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“Everyone else is ok, but he died a hero,” Chang said. “It’s just been difficult, there are a lot of rough days.”
Rowe’s body has since been returned to Georgia, and his family is thankful for the support they have received in Georgia and South Carolina.
“It’s been quite a lot, and of course for the family, it’s emotionally taxing, but having people there to just encourage and just be there for us in such a time as this is really meaningful,” Chang said.