A 24-year-old Arkansas police officer died Saturday after proposing to his girlfriend and then attempting to save her from a strong river current. Officer Fred Marsh of the Rogers Police Department had proposed to his girlfriend, Hailey, early Saturday morning before the couple went canoeing with friends on the Elk River in Missouri.
During the outing, Hailey entered the river and began to struggle. Marsh and a fellow officer immediately entered the water to help. They were able to pull Hailey to safety, but Marsh was swept away by the current and did not resurface.
The couple had been together for three years. Hailey's mother, Sheryl Padgett, told 40/29 that she had formed a close bond with Marsh, calling him "son" and saying he called her "mama."
Marsh graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in April and was in his first year with the Rogers Police Department. He also played college baseball at Ecclesia College, where a teammate described him as a "God-fearing man" and someone who was "there for everybody."
A GoFundMe page has been created by Hailey's sister to assist her with expenses following the loss of her fiancé.
On Monday, a motorcade carrying Marsh's body traveled through Northwest Arkansas, with community members lining the route to honor the fallen officer. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Marsh's family, who anticipate a large attendance from officers, former classmates, and childhood friends.