New Jersey man dies after saving 2 kids from drowning in river

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man has died after saving two children from drowning on Tuesday in a river in New Jersey, according to Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson.

A 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were swimming in the Great Egg Harbor River at Weymouth Furnace when they began struggling in the water.

Pablo Hernando Cruz, 49, of Mays Landing, jumped into the river and helped get the children to safety but was unable to resurface himself. Bystanders helped get Cruz out, and he was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The 12-year-old was treated and released, and the 8-year-old was transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families. This is a beautiful park that is enjoyed by many for canoeing, kayaking, picnics, and barbecues, but the water is deep and can be dangerous for swimmers, which is why we prohibit swimming,” Levinson said in a statement. “We urge visitors to heed the warnings. Signs are posted throughout the park in both English and Spanish. We don’t want any family to have to deal with this type of tragedy.”

A GoFundMe page was organized by Cruz’s relatives.

“Pablo was an amazing father, husband, and cook... man, could he cook! He worked at a number of Atlantic City restaurants and always seized the moment to make something exquisite for his family on a whim; his Thanksgiving turkey gravy was legendary,” Joe Pagliuca, Cruz’s brother-in-law, wrote on the GoFundMe page.

The park was temporarily closed following the incident but was reopened on Wednesday.