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On Monday, April 10, the parents of Bryce Brooks held a press conference for the late teen, who died after rescuing four children from drowning. According to People News, the incident took place when the Brooks family was on vacation in Pensacola.
While visiting a Pensacola beach with his family, Bryce Brooks reportedly saw four younger children being carried away by a current, before him and five other friends attempted to help.
Despite managing to save the children, Bryce and his family friend, Charles "Chuck" Johnson III, died due to the strong current. The Pensacola News Journal reported that the incident may have been caused by rip currents, which have been frequently sighted in Florida.
Bryce Brooks was on his school's honor roll
As per People News, Bryce Brooks was a 16-year-old from Atlanta with a keen interest in music and fashion. His parents said that the teen's creative flair led him to join his school's fashion club. He was also known to be a good student, making the honor roll just a week before his death.
His mother, Crystal Brooks, said:
"We're never gonna get to see Bryce grow up to be the full man he was going to be. But we know that he stepped into his manhood to save these children and that makes me proud. It doesn't take away an ounce of pain, but it makes me proud of our son and what he sacrificed. And I'll forever hold that."
Bryce Brooks' parents described him as a kind, brave and selfless teen. They noted that during the drowning incident, he called for people to help the children he intended to save, despite the fact that he had already been caught in the current himself.
The Get Your Teach On Foundation started a fundraiser order to support the victim's family and has since raised over $80k. Members of the foundation also asked the public to pray for Bryce's 6-year-old brother Christian as he deals with the untimely loss of a family member at a young age.
A Get Your Teach On Foundation spokesperson wrote:
"Bryce's actions helped to save several lives. We can not even begin to understand the unimaginable impact this has had on their family, friends, and loved ones but know the power of this community."
According to the Atlanta-Constitution Journal, people at the beach recovered the bodies of Brooks and Johnson. They were airlifted to a hospital, where Brooks was declared dead by way of cardiac arrest. Johnson's official cause of death has yet to be disclosed.
