By Julia Train
On Wednesday, July 17, two children–ages 8 and 12– were rescued from a near drowning in the Great Egg Harbor River at Weymouth Furnace by a local hero.
The two boys were rescued by 49-year-old Mays Landing resident Pablo Hernandez Cruz, who was hospitalized in critical condition, but later died.
Both boys were swimming in the river at Weymouth Furnace – a popular park for canoeing, kayaking and tubing – when they began struggling in the water.
Cruz noticed and then jumped into the river and helped get the children to safety but was pulled underneath the water.
Other rescuers then helped get Cruz out of the water.
Paul Horsey and his son Hunter were at the park at the time of the incident. Paul said to Fox29 News that he was told that Cruz pushed the boys to where first responders could reach them, then was submerged.
The incident occurred under the Weymouth Road Bridge, where a turbulent whirlpool is visible even from the surface, according to Fox 29.
Hunter told Fox 29 that there’s a line where the depth drops from around 5 feet down to 12 feet, which is marked by “Prohibited, No Swimming” signs.
Although a popular place for canoeing, tubing and kayaking, there are multiple signs prohibiting swimming, but visitors often still get in the water on hot days.
In a statement, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families. This is a beautiful park that is enjoyed by many for canoeing, kayaking, picnics and barbeques, but the water is deep and can be dangerous for swimmers which is why we prohibit swimming. We urge visitors to heed the warnings. Signs are posted throughout the park in both English and Spanish. We don’t want any family to have to deal with this type of tragedy.”
The father and son had just dropped off tubers from their family-owned Winding River Campground, when a frantic police officer made them aware of what was going on.
The two immediately went to where Cruz was last spotted and jumped in the water to find him.
Hunter found Cruz unconscious and brought him to the EMTs on the riverbank, who immediately started efforts to resuscitate him.
Cruz was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition where he was later pronounced dead.
The 12-year-old was treated and released and the 8-year-old taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Cruz left behind his wife, two daughters and an unborn grandson.
In order to help his family, Cruz’s brother-in-law, Joe Pagliuca, created a GoFundMe to raise funds. On the GoFundMe’s page, Pagliuca said, “Pablo was an amazing father, husband, and cook… man, could he cook!”
Cruz worked at numerous Atlantic City restaurants and “always seized the moment to make something exquisite for his family on a whim; his Thanksgiving turkey gravy was legendary.”
The fundraiser’s page also mentions how selfless Cruz was. Seven years ago, he sacrificed his career to be by his daughter’s side when she was diagnosed with cancer.
Once he went back to work, Cruz still made sure to make home improvements, fix cars and fulfill the duties of being a husband and father, even after working 18-hour days.
“He took on the role of caretaker and as always proved to be the glue that held his family together,” the statement said. “No one worked harder than Pablo and his number one priority was always providing for his family.”
As of Tuesday, July 23, the GoFundMe has amassed $71,039
The fundraiser can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-pablos-family-through-this-heroic-tragic-loss
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and is news editor for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
