The body of a firefighter who went missing after trying to rescue girls from drowning was found Saturday in the Detroit River, authorities said.
Detroit Fire Department Sgt. Sivad Johnson, 48, was off-duty Friday night with his 10-year-old daughter when he heard several girls screaming for help and diving into the water at the Detroit Yacht Club, The Detroit News reported.
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“First responders are never off-duty,” police say sei. “He saw people who needed help and he did not hesitate to jump into the water to save them.”
Johnson served in the Detroit Fire Department for 26 years.
(Detroit Fire Department)
A civilian and a neighborhood boat also ran over to help the girls.
“From the citizen we interviewed yesterday, there were a lot of rip currents and the sergeant went out into the water,” Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell told the paper Saturday. “One girl was rescued by the civilian, and the boat picked up the other two girls.”
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After the rescue, Johnson’s daughter realized her father was missing and called 911 at 911, police said. The girl was handed over to her grandfather when a police diving team searched for her father. The search was called off Friday due to darkness and resumed the next day.
Detroit firefighter Sivad Johnson is holding up plaque given to him in 2016 for saving the life of an unconscious man.
(Detroit Public Safety Foundation)
The body was found Saturday morning at 1 p.m. by police divers after a six-hour search.
It is thought Johnson may have been dragged under water by a rip-off current, police said.
“He’s a firefighter, he saw the girls in need and jumped in. He’s done that his whole career,” Fornell said. “Something happened, and it’s sad that one of us got lost that way.”
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Johnson joined the fire department 26 years ago, following in his father’s footsteps.
He was honored in 2016 by the Detroit Public Safety Foundation for saving the life of an unconscious man during a fire. A year later, he was honored for his bravery with the department’s appreciation medal.
Fox Gear ‘Robert Gearty contributed to this report.
