Man drowns after jumping into Detroit Lake to save 3-year-old son who fell off a bridge
A father reportedly died after he drowned trying to save his three-year-old son who had fallen off a bridge into a lake in Minnesota. The father, 31-year-old Christopher Schultz, jumped into the Detroit Lake in Minnesota after his child fell in, according to the police.
However, Schultz started to struggle to keep the child above water, according to the Becker County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Todd Glander shared that several bystanders and onlookers brought the child back to the shore but Schultz did not resurface. Authorities got word of a drowning at around 8.22 am at Long Bridge in Dead Shot Bay on Saturday, June 15. Emergency services attempted to search for him and found him with the help of fisherman at around 9.07 am.
Schultz was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead. Investigators were able to identify the man as Christopher Franklin Nicholas Schultz, who hails from Frazee, Becker County. A man who lives near where the incident took place, Bill Wickum, said that the area where the child had fallen is dangerous but it is not that deep for an adult to navigate. Wickum shared with Fox 2 Detroit, "You're a father you're going to do anything you can to save the kid."
"It is deep, there is a current, but it's fairly close to where you can touch - five strokes to where you can probably hit bottom," he added. He also reflected on Schultz's bravery and sacrifice, the day before Father's Day. "He [Schultz] made the ultimate sacrifice for his son, and I hope his son grows up to be a worthy recipient of that because you can't think of any greater sacrifice. So, that's a sad, sad, story." While Schultz passed away, his son survived.
Authorities shared that the child was treated for non-life threatening injuries at a hospital. Schultz's friend Matthew Clark described him as a hero for saving his child. Clark took to Facebook to write, "Rest in Peace Topher Schultz. I am beside myself upon hearing the news. you saved your child's life. You're a hero. You have always been a stand-up guy to me and I always enjoyed our convos. You were a funny and fun person. You will be missed by many."
His family also started a GoFundMe page to share his story as well as look for donations to help with funeral expenses.