A Detroit veteran firefighter was found dead Saturday after diving into a river to rescue three young girls from drowning, authorities said.
Rescue crews began searching the Detroit River Friday night for the 10-year-old daughter of Sgt. Sivad Johnson of the city’s fire department reported that her father went missing after diving into the river to save young girls from drowning, Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell told NBC News on Saturday.
Johnson, 48, a native of Detroit, had been with the fire department for more than two decades. He was a second-generation firefighter, as his father and brother also served in that role.
Detroit firefighters and Detroit police officers recovered Johnson’s body from the river. Michigan State Police tweeted.
He was found Saturday afternoon and pronounced dead at the hospital shortly thereafter, Fornell said.
State troopers and State Department of Natural Resources officers responded to the scene after Michigan State Police said they received a call at 9 p.m. Friday night. Upon investigation, officials found that Johnson jumped into the water alongside several other people to save three girls from drowning. He was off duty at the time.
The girls were rescued and taken home safely, but Johnson’s daughter never saw her father back from the river. It is thought that Johnson may have been dragged under water by a rip-off current, according to NBC branch WDIV in Detroit.
In 2017, Johnson was awarded the Detroit Fire Department Medal of Valor, Fornell told Detroit News.
