'He was a great man': Peoria father who drowned in Mexico remembered by family

A man from Peoria is being remembered by his family after his unexpected death in Mexico over the Fourth of July weekend.

Robert Perkins, 43, originally from Benson, AZ, was swept away in a rip current on July 4 at a Rocky Point beach while on a family vacation in Mexico for the Independence Day weekend, according to Perkins' daughter Anisah Perkins.

Anisah, 20, says her father was "just going for a dip" to escape the heat and humidity and did not plan to go for a far swim.

That was the last time she saw her father alive.

"The water took him out," Anisah said. "We never saw him again."

After around 30 minutes of searching, local fishermen were able to locate Perkins' body and helped pull him out of the water, Anisah said.

Despite Anisah performing 5 rounds of CPR on her father in an attempt to save his life, Perkins died.

"It wasn't enough to save him," said Anisah.

Despite the "very long process" of returning Perkins' body to the United States, a service was held the following week on July 9 in his hometown of Benson.

During this process, it took three different funeral homes in Mexico and Arizona over three days before the family could finally expedite Perkins' body to his hometown July 7, incurring "high costs" along the way.

"He's finally at rest," Anisah said.

According to Anisah, Rocky Point had always been a "favorite vacation spot" for the family. They'd often plan trips to the Mexican coastal destination on the Gulf of California whenever she'd return home for summer break from attending Northern Arizona University.

"I can't think of anywhere else that we would ever go," Anisah said.

While most beaches in the U.S. have designated flags warning swimmers of rip current activity , there didn't appear to be any indication of potential danger on the day of the incident, Anisah said.

"I know here in Arizona, going to Rocky Point is a very common vacation spot for a lot of people," Anisah said. "I think people should be aware of when the water is dangerous because that's not really common knowledge,"

According to the National Weather Service, rip currents remain the second leading cause of death for weather-related activity in the U.S. , also accounting for over 80% of rescues performed by beach lifeguards .

"If we knew that the water was bad that day, he would have never gone out there," Anisah said.

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Now, Anisah and her family are reeling from the aftermath of her father's death as they "try to continue with their lives," she said.

"It's been a really hard hit for me and my family. He was kind of like the glue for all of us," said Anisah. "Now that he's gone, it's kind of hard to find how to stay put together, in a way."

Perkins' passing is particularly challenging for his youngest daughter Ava, who according to Anisah "doesn't really understand the concept of her father being gone."

"She's 3 years old, so she doesn't really understand ... that he's not coming back," Anisah said. "So it's been very hard for us to deal with that. As we continue on with our grief, she doesn't understand it, so it kind of reopens that for everyone when she is upset."

According to Anisah, her father was best known for being "full of joy" by those who knew him.

"Everyone around him always said that anytime they ever saw him, he always had a smile on his face," said Anisah. "I don't think I've ever seen him mad. He was always so happy."

Anisah went on to remember her father as "a peacemaker" during times of conflict, as well as his "unwavering devotion" to his family.

"He was a great man," Anisah said. "He was so loving and caring."

Anisah hopes that those who knew Perkins continue her father's legacy of "finding joy" in everyday life.

"The way I want people to remember him ... is to find at least one thing that makes you happy and continue to live your life that way, just the same that he did," Anisah said. "He always found a way to have a good day. I think that's how everyone should live their life."

Although Anisah's family was able to return Perkins' body to the U.S., the financial costs of his passing have been "very hard" for the family, Anisah said.

To help cover the expenses, Anisah has since organized a GoFundMe campaign for contributions during this time.

"It's been very hard to be here without him," Anisah said. "It just gets harder as time goes by, but I know eventually my family will recuperate."

Perkins leaves behind a wife and six children.

Those interested in donating or sharing the cause can visit Anisah's GoFundMe page .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'He was a great man': Peoria father who drowned in Mexico remembered by family