Worcester Police Officer Dies Trying to Save a 14-Year-Old Boy Who Also Drowned

A Worcester police officer in Massachusetts died after drowning in Green Hill Pond Friday, June 4, while trying to save a boy who also did not survive.

The 38-year-old police officer was identified as Enmanuel "Manny" Familia, according to a CBS Local report. Police went to the pond after receiving 911 calls reporting three children struggling in the water. Five cops immediately jumped into the pond.

Witness Sheryl Lamonda said she saw two kids in the water trying to hold onto each other in the water when she arrived there. Lamonda noted that the kids were screaming that they could not swim.

A police officer came out of the water with two children he had rescued. The kids were transported to a nearby hospital. Lamonda said another officer was in the pond and people onshore were pointing him where the missing boy was.

Worcester Police Officer in Massachusetts Dies

A dive team had pulled Familia from the pond. He was pronounced dead in a local hospital. The police officer was a five-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department. He leaves behind a wife, a son, and a daughter, according to an NBC Boston report.

Chief Steven Sargent said the Worcester Police Department had lost a brother, friend, and partner. Sargent noted that Familia will be remembered and will be honored for his selfless devotion to Worcester. He added that the city has lost a hero.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker offered his condolences over the deaths of Familia and the boy, Boston 25 News reported.

Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, on the other hand, said that Familia had died tragically in the line of duty doing what he was trained to do.

Petty noted that the Worcester police officer attempted to rescue the teenager without regard for his own safety. He said Familia was the kind of person who would lay down his life for someone else's child.

WCVB reported that a procession to bring the Worcester police officer's body from UMass Memorial Hospital to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Westfield is expected on Saturday, June 5.

Meanwhile, family members identified the 14-year-old boy who died as Troy Love. His family said that after the Love's girlfriend swam across, the teen and his siblings followed and then realized they would not make it.

Divers also pulled Love from the water. But he was pronounced dead in a hospital.

Deaths by Drowning

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for seven percent of all injury-related deaths. An estimate of 236,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, according to the WHO's website.

The WHO reported that low-and middle-income countries account for over 90 percent of unintentional drowning deaths, with over half of the world's drowning occurs in the WHO Western Pacific Region and WHO South-East Asia Region.

Drowning rates are highest in the WHO Western Pacific Region. It is 27 to 32 times higher than those seen in the United Kingdom or Germany, respectively.

Drowning was deemed a major public health problem worldwide in 2019, with an estimate of 236,000 people dying from drowning.

Males are especially at risk of drowning, with twice the overall fatality rate for females. In addition, they are more likely to be hospitalized than females for non-fatal drowning.

Studies suggest that this is the case due to the male population's increased exposure to water and riskier behavior such as swimming alone or drinking alcohol before swimming alone and beating.

WATCH: Worcester Police officer, 14-Year-Old Boy Die After Drowning During Pond Rescue - From WWLP-22News