WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - The family of a Worcester police officer who died while trying to save a drowning teenager earlier this year has created a foundation in his honor.
The 267 Foundation was named after 38-year-old Worcester Police Officer Manny Familia’s badge number while he was on the force.
The foundation’s initial goal is to raise funds to provide rescue tubes for every police cruiser and, in collaboration with the YMCA, to provide proper training for police officers to provide water rescues, according to its website. Additionally, the foundation also hopes to provide swimming lessons and water surviving skills to children and teenagers in the Worcester community.
Enmanuel “Manny” Familia, 38, drowned in a pond at Green Hill Park on June 4 while trying to rescue a 14-year-old boy who also drowned.
“It’s been a bad dream that I just want to wake up from,” Familia’s wife, Jennifer Familia, said in a video shared MA Police Chiefs. “This is my reality now and I got to figure out how I am going to deal with it.”
Five police officers who were the first to arrive on scene jumped into the water and were able to rescue two of three children who were in distress. Familia went in to search for the third child and did not come back out.
After being evaluated at the hospital, Familia was pronounced dead.
“[Manny] became a police officer because he genuinely wanted to help the community,” Familia’s wife said. “This was his home, he truly became a police officer to protect and to serve.”
Familia’s younger brother, Eric, said after the incident that he is not surprised his brother rushed into Green Hill Pond on Friday in an attempt to rescue the drowning teen.
“It didn’t matter if he had the uniform or not. He would have gone in there for anyone,” he said.
The 267 Foundation hopes to eventually provide a “Manny tube” to every police department across the United States.
Loved ones, thousands of police officers from near and far, and countless community members gathered days after Familia’s death to pay their final respects with a touching a tribute.
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