ZEBULON, N.C. (WNCN) – A 36-year-old man is dead after drowning while saving a boy in the water at Little River Park in Zebulon Sunday.

Police responded to the park, which is near Water Plant Road and N.C. 97, just after 6 p.m.

Zebulon Police Chief Tim Hayworth said there were six or seven friends, along with several people in the park, when witnesses saw a boy having trouble while swimming.

The man went into the water and got the boy, believed to be 7 or 8-years-old,  before going underwater himself and not coming back up.

Witnesses said he was underwater for two to three minutes, and they found him at the bottom, Hayworth said.

He was already unconscious after two people pulled him out.

After performing CPR on him for about an hour, the man was pronounced dead.

While witnesses and friends are grieving, Hayworth said they’re thankful for the man jumping in to save the boy, calling him a hero.

“This man was trying to save the child, and in fact, did save the child. The tragedy could’ve been far worse. We could’ve had two drownings, and this man probably was doing what anyone of us would’ve done if we saw a child in danger,” Hayworth said.

“We would’ve tried to jump in and help this child. If it was a small child, when my kids were little, I’d want someone to do the same thing, so we do applaud him for that.”

Hayworth said the incident is rare as it is the first drowning he remembers happening at the park.

“This portion of water, it’s not a rapids, it’s not a rough area of water, not a deep area of water,” he said. “Most people come down here and fish or kind of wade out into the water. It’s not really known as the local swimming hole. It’s more like a play area.”

Hayworth said the boy is in good condition after being checked out by EMS.

Authorities have not released the man’s name. Hayworth said they’re still working on contacting the immediate family.

Authorities will be taking the man’s body to Chapel Hill for further examination.

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