Just hours after proposing to his longtime girlfriend, 24-year-old Arkansas police officer Fred Marsh died while trying to save her from a fast-moving river current.
The Rogers Police Department officer had asked Hailey Lummus to marry him on the morning of Saturday, July 18, before the couple headed out for a canoeing trip with friends on the Elk River near Noel, Missouri.
But the celebrations turned tragic when Hailey encountered difficulty in the water.
According to authorities and family members, Hailey entered the river while attempting to get back to a kayak and began struggling against the current. Marsh immediately jumped in to help, alongside another off-duty police officer who was part of the group.
Hailey was successfully guided to safety, but Marsh was caught in the powerful current. Despite desperate efforts by those nearby to rescue him, he disappeared beneath the water and did not resurface. His body was recovered the following morning. 
Rest in peace 
