Texas: Young Man Drowns After His Baptism Trying to Rescue Teen Girl

A young man in northern Texas drowned just one hour after his baptism when trying to rescue a teenage girl struggling in the lake.

On Saturday, 21-year-old Lincer Lopez entered the light of Christ when he underwent a baptism in Lake Waxahachie, but just one hour later, a girl began to drown and he immediately jumped in to rescue her. He then began to struggle staying above water until a boater came to rescue them both. The girl was revived via CPR but Lopez was pronounced dead after being rushed to a local hospital.

Jacob Lopez, Lincer’s uncle, hailed him a hero.

“He didn’t think twice about rescuing someone else. He didn’t think about the risk that he could die. And he did risk his life to save somebody else’s,” said Jacob.

“Lopez and the teenage girl were both part of a large church group from Garland who had been enjoying the lake after multiple baptisms were performed, per the New York Post.

Jacob Bell, the boater who pulled Lopez and the girl from the lake, said his brother drowned at age three and that he genuinely feels for the family.

“I haven’t really begun to — it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Bell told local reporters. “It’s hard.”

“He was a hero, he had just been baptized and gave his life to the lord, and our family, we pray for his family, and we pray for the little girl’s family,” Bell added. “And he was a strong boy, they should be very proud of him.”

The GoFundMe page set up for Lopez’s family has since raised over $30,000 and will use the money to send his body back to his family in Mexico.

“We ask for your help from the community and friends of the Mejía López Family, we need to raise funds to transport his body to Chiapas Mx, his hometown where his loved ones await him,” said the GoFundMe.