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Finally, the man who on Sunday afternoon, Father's Day, tried to save his daughter when she began to struggle against the strong waves while swimming in the sea in front of the B Ocean hotel in Fort Lauderdale, was confirmed dead by local police this Monday.
The tragic event occurred around 7:20 p.m., in the popular area of Seabreeze Boulevard, just twenty minutes after the lifeguards from Ocean Rescue had finished their shift.
When they were leaving, they heard on the radio a 911 call that
The father, identified as Antwon Wilson, 33 years old and a resident of Lauderhill, immediately jumped into the water to try to rescue her. A second adult—a good Samaritan—also entered the sea to help.
According to the chief of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Battalion, Danny Moran, Wilson was able to reach the girl and keep her afloat long enough for rescuers to intervene.
The lifeguards quickly returned and entered the water, managing to bring the minor out alive.
However, Wilson had disappeared beneath the water.
Minutes later, he was found and taken to the shore, where paramedics attempted to resuscitate him unsuccessfully.
He was declared dead shortly thereafter at Broward Health Medical Center.
The girl was transported to the hospital along with the good Samaritan, Eslam Saad, who intervened in the rescue.
Saad was enjoying the day with his own family when he heard the commotion.
"Many people were shouting, ‘Help, help!’," the witness told the local press, who did not hesitate to act. "I just jumped," he said.
"I didn't think of anything. I didn't even tell my wife that I was going into the water again. I tried to swim, I tried to get out with her. I think I did everything I could to bring her to shore," he added.
When he managed to reach the girl, he tried to calm her down. “I told her, ‘Please, I know you’re in panic. Please, don’t do anything reckless. I will do everything I can to get you out.’”
Saad was the one who finally led the girl to a safer area, where the rescuers took control. In the midst of the chaos, Wilson had disappeared.
“Once I entered the hospital and they ensured I was okay, I tried to ask about them and they told me that their father had already left,” Saad recounted, visibly affected.
The man was also discharged the next day and stated that, despite the trauma, he does not regret his actions.
"I feel proud of myself and I would do the same again regardless of the consequences," he assured.
According to what he reported, Wilson's family deeply thanked him for his bravery.
Authorities urge beachgoers to take greater precautions in the ocean as summer approaches and beach attendance throughout Florida increases.
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