Young Officer Proposes, Then Makes Ultimate Sacrifice

An Arkansas police officer proposed to his girlfriend just hours before making the ultimate sacrifice. Officer Fred Marsh, 24, of the Rogers Police Department asked Hailey Lummus to marry him on Saturday morning before the newly engaged couple set off on a canoeing trip with friends along Missouri's Elk River. "He proposed to my daughter on the day he passed away, early that morning, and he made her his fiancée," Hailey's mother, Sheryl Padgett, told 40/29 . What began as a day of celebration quickly turned to heartbreak when Lummus entered the water and began struggling against the powerful current while trying to get back to a kayak. Fred Marsh died a few hours after proposing to Hailey Lummus. Credit: GoFundMe Officer swept away after rescuing fiancée According to Padgett, Marsh immediately rushed into the river to help his fiancée. Another Rogers police officer, who was on the trip with his wife, also entered the water to assist. Together, they managed to get Lummus to safety by pushing her toward a nearby canoe. But as they rescued her, Marsh was caught by the swift current. Despite desperate efforts from members of the group and others on the river to save him, he disappeared beneath the water and never resurfaced. A Missouri State Highway Patrol incident report said the group had been canoeing near Easy Street in Noel, Missouri, close to the Arkansas border. The report stated Marsh died after entering the water to assist someone and was pronounced dead at 10:08AM local time on Sunday (July 19). Marsh was a Rogers Police Department officer. Credit: GoFundMe Family remembers 'beautiful, loving relationship' Marsh and Lummus had been together for three years before becoming engaged on the day of the tragedy. "They had been together for three beautiful years, and they had a very beautiful, loving relationship," Padgett said. "Even though legally he was not my son-in-law, he will forever be my son." Padgett also revealed the pair had formed a unique bond after sharing similar heartbreak. "I lost my only son, four years ago, to a fatal accident in my hometown so we instantly made a connection and a bond. I called him son, and he called me mama." The couple had been together for three years. Credit: GoFundMe Young officer remembered as a hero Marsh graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in April and was serving his first year with the Rogers Police Department. Rogers Police Chief Jonathan Best announced Marsh’s death in a release, praising the late cop's "willingness to serve others" and his "enthusiasm" for policing. On Monday, Marsh's body was escorted through Northwest Arkansas in a motorcade as family members, fellow officers and members of the public gathered to pay their respects. His cousin, Chris Frye, said Marsh died exactly as he lived. "As tragic as this is, he died the hero," Frye told KNWA . "He gave his life to save someone else. And that hurts to say, but it is true. His heart was in the right place. He wasn't thinking about himself. He was thinking about others. That's the job of a police officer." Corporal Don Lisi also reflected on the loss, saying the news "took a while to sink in" and remembered Marsh as someone who made a positive impact during his short time with the department. A former teammate from Ecclesia College, where Marsh played baseball, also remembered him as a "God-fearing man" who was "there for everybody." Lummus' sister, Kourtlin Ricketts, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses as Hailey begins rebuilding her life without her fiancé. "Due to this sudden loss, it has left Hailey in overwhelming need. With a new lease, bills, and more unforseen expenses, it is now left all on her shoulders," she wrote. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this loss. Featured image credit: GoFundMe