A 37-year-old Massachusetts man died while trying to rescue his wife and son from a fast-moving river in New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon.
New Hampshire State Police said they received a call around 12:33 p.m. about a possible drowning in the Swift River in Albany.
Their preliminary investigation showed that a Massachusetts family was on the Passaconaway roadside of the Swift River, east of the Albany Covered Bridge. The mother and child became trapped in an area of fast-moving water, and the father jumped in to try and rescue them, but was ultimately caught in the current.
The mother and child made it to shore safely, state police said. Bystanders helped carry the father to shore where CPR was performed, but he was ultimately pronounced dead.
State police identified the man as Vincent Parr, of Lawrence. An investigation into his death is ongoing.
Parr’s effort to rescue someone in trouble was typical of him, his mother, Becca Parr, said Monday.
“From the day he was born, he was so selfless,” she said. “I know he didn’t think for a moment, ‘he could die,’ he just did what he could. He was a loving soul, with a good heart and he never put himself first.”
State police were assisted at the scene by State Police Marine Patrol, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, US Forest Service Police, US Forest Service Rangers and the Conway Fire Department. .
Parr’s death remains under investigation and the State Police Marine Patrol is asking witnesses to come forward, authorities said. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has additional details is asked to contact State Police Marine Patrol Lt. Crystal McLain at 603-227-2113 or [email protected].
The Swift River is a 25-mile-long river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is a tributary of the Saco River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Maine.
Last Tuesday, another family from Massachusetts was visiting Franconia Falls in the White Mountains National Forest when a mother drowned trying to save her 10-year-old son, who had slipped and fell into the water. Melissa Bagley’s husband, Lt. Sean Bagley of the Everett Police Department, tried to revive her but was unable to.
The deaths of Parr and Bagley occurred about 20 miles apart in the White Mountain National Forest.
Associated Press contributed to this article.
