Victor Mozqueda
Victor Mozqueda
Victor Mozqueda playing his guitar [2]
Victor Mozqueda is a resident of Santa Clarita, California.
In June 2018 he sacrificed his life to save his drowning 5-year-old nephew.
Despite not knowing how to swim, Victor jumped into a river with a strong current and held the the boy's head up above the water until he could pass the boy to his parents.
Memory
Victor Mozqueda's sister, Maria Mozqueda said, "Victor was a happy person, humble caring, loving, respectful, laid back and friendly.
He loved going out doors and being next to nature."
Sacrifice
Photo of 5-year-old Vincent Gonzalez going home after being saved by his uncle Victor Mozqueda and released from the hospital.
On Saturday, June 23, 2018, Victor Mozqueda jumped into a raging river to save his 5-year-old nephew from drowning.
He rescued the boy, but died in the process.
He jumped in the river at 6:45 a.m. Saturday after the boy fell when he walked with family members down to the river near the Sequoia National Park entrance sign in Tulare County, California according to the National Park Service.
According to the family, "Some how Victor manage to keep Vincent on top of his head even while he was under water so that Vincent could breath.
He never let go of him even when they went down under the currents a few times.
The last effort he did was to throw Vincent out of the strong current so that his father could barely grab him."
The parents of the boy jumped in to help the boy after Mozqueda went in, authorities said.
Two fisherman saw the boy and helped in getting the parents and child out of the water, authorities and Gonzalez said.
A fisherman and the boy's father started CPR on the boy and were able to resuscitate him, authorities said.
The boy was later transported by ambulance to a helicopter ambulance and he was flown to a hospital in Visalia, California.
He was then transported to another hospital in Fresno, California for continued treatment.
On Monday, June 26, 2018, the boy was released from the hospital.
Park Rangers and the Tulare County Fire Department and the Tulare County Sheriff's Department responded to the call, according to the National Park Service.
Authorities said this is the second fatality within two weeks in Sequoia National Park and is similar to another incident in the same location.
"In both cases, the family members who jumped in after the children did not survive," said Sequoia District Ranger Dave Fox in a statement.
"The rocks are super slick on the river's edge, and people should avoid getting close to the water," "Please enjoy the river from a safe distance and away from the slippery rocks."