ALBANY, N.H. (WHDH) - A Massachusetts man drowned in New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon while trying to rescue his wife and stepson from a fast-moving river.
New Hampshire state troopers responding to a possible drowning in the Swift River in Albany around 12:33 p.m. learned that a family from Massachusetts was on the Passaconaway roadside when a mother and child became stuck in an area with fast-moving water, according to police.
Police said the man, identified as Vincent Parr, 37, of Lawrence attempted to rescue his family members and ultimately became stuck in the current himself.
The mother and child got to shore and bystanders helped get Parr to shore, where they performed CPR. Parr was later pronounced dead.
7NEWS spoke with Parr’s mother, who said Parr went up to meet his wife and stepson to take them on an outing on the Swift River. Parr’s mother, Becky Parr, said she is not surprised her son risked his own life in this manner.
“It was without hesitation,” she said. “He didn’t think about anyone else except for those two people.”
Becky Parr continued, saying she is thankful for the bystanders who pulled her son from the water.
“Those lovely people who pulled his body from the river gave us the best gift we could ever have,” Becky said. “We have his body. We have someone to bury. So, there’s three heroes in this story.”
This death followed less than a week after a mother from Lynn died trying to save her 10-year-old son from a separate river in New Hampshire.
The mother, identified as Melissa Bagley, was at the Franconia Falls near Lincoln, New Hampshire on Tuesday of last week with her family when police said her son slipped into the Pemigewasset River. Bagley “jumped into the river to help her child and began to immediately have trouble,” according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Law Enforcement Division. While family members were able to rescue the boy, Bagley was pronounced dead.
New Hampshire has seen heavy rain in recent weeks, potentially contributing to more dangerous than usual conditions along rivers in the state, according to officials.
As a result, officials have advised people to take extra care when they are on or near local waterways.
Anyone who witnessed the incident Sunday afternoon or who has additional details is asked to contact New Hampshire State Police – Marine Patrol Lieutenant Crystal McLain at (603) 227-2113 or Crystal.H.McLain@dos.nh.gov.
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