A California teenager is being honored and remembered for his incredible bravery and big heart after tragically passing away while trying to save his younger brother from a fierce river.
The Sacramento Fire Department (SFD) reported that the teen and two others went into the Sacramento River on Sunday to get a football.
A little while later, 15-year-old Amari noticed his 13-year-old brother Elijah having trouble in the water and tried to rescue him.
As per the article, the boys’ mother, Yolanda Sashe, mentioned she entered the water to try and save both her children. She managed to reach Amari but unfortunately couldn’t rescue him.
She glanced down at him, then up, and she felt his hands slip away, she recalled. Something swept in and took him from her, and in an instant, he was gone.
A boater nearby helped two out of the three swimmers to safety, but unfortunately, one of them got pulled underwater. The body of the missing teenager was later found in the water with the help of sonar technology.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office confirmed the victim as Amari Quarles, as per online records.
Amari’s father, James Sashe, shared on a GoFundMe page set up for the family that his son died a hero. According to him, Amari had recently moved to California “to be closer to family.” He mentioned that the teenager was excelling as a straight-A student at Natomas High School.
The Natomas Unified School District paid tribute to Amari in a Facebook post and shared a link to the family’s GoFundMe page. The district expressed sorrow at the loss of one of their students and emphasized the family’s need for support.
SFD Captain Justin Sylvia mentioned that the Sacramento River can be challenging at this time of year due to high water levels, cold temperatures, and strong currents. He highlighted the difficulty faced by rescue swimmers in the search for the missing teenager, as the current made it exhausting to navigate.
As of Wednesday morning, over $17,000 has been raised for the family.
