JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (AP) – A 42-year-old Iowa man drowned in the Iowa River while helping rescue an 8-year-old child from the river.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s office said Wegayewu Faris and a kayaker were “instrumental” in saving the child’s life, but Faris disappeared under the water while he was trying to help the child Friday evening near River Junction about 20 miles south of Coralville. Faris’ body was found about an hour later.
A kayaker was able to rescue the child who was taken to a hospital after bystanders performed CPR.
The sheriff’s department didn’t provide an update on the child’s condition.
Faris and the child came to the river with separate families to fish. They weren’t related.
© 2022 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Material may not be redistributed.