PEMBROKE (WSLS 10) - A man died while saving his son while the family was swimming at Cascades Falls in Pembroke, Giles County. It happened Saturday, July 9 just after 5 p.m.
According to Giles County Sheriff Morgan Millirons, the boy was swimming underneath the falls when someone noticed he had gone underwater and had not resurfaced. According to witnesses, after others screamed for help, the man jumped in the water to save his son.
His son, however was not injured and did at some point resurface. While searching for his son, witnesses say the man was able to throw his son to safety. The man was then unable to get out of the water and was taken under. Millirons says at 5:22 p.m. on Saturday 9-1-1 was called after the family was unable to locate the boys father. Millirons said the boy was unharmed.
The Giles County Sheriff's Office along with Giles County Rescue, emergency crews from Montgomery County, Riner and dive teams from the Virginia State Police responded in an attempt to rescue the man.
Dive teams from the Virginia State Police recovered the man's body from the water at 11:55 p.m. Saturday night. Millirons said the water was unusually high for the area.
This is the second drowning death at the Cascades in Pembroke in the past two weeks. The man's family has been notified of the incident. Police have not released the mans name. Sheriff Millirons says the mans body has been sent to the medical examiner in Roanoke. Once the autopsy is complete, the man's name will be released.