“When Joshua attempted to rescue the two distressed juveniles he also became distressed and then unresponsive in the water,” police said. Fernandina Beach Fire Department responders tried to resuscitate Curtis, who was “determined to be in cardiac arrest,” according to a fire department incident report. Police said Curtis was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead that night. Authorities have not released his age. Multiple bystanders witnessed Curtis’s drowning, police said, and some tried to help, including getting the children out of the water safely. A Kingston youth sports league mourned the death of Curtis, whom they identified in an online statement as one of their coaches. The Silver Lake Warriors football program said in a Facebook post Tuesday that the two children Curtis helped save from drowning were his son and his niece. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic loss of one of our beloved Warrior Football coaches, Josh Curtis,” the statement said. “Josh passed away this past week in Florida, heroically saving his son and niece from a dangerous rip current.” “His selfless actions were a reflection of the man he was—brave, loving, and devoted to those he cared about," the Silver Lake Warriors post said. A total of three children were in the ocean at the time of the incident, according to police, and the two Curtis saved from drowning were unharmed. All three kids had been playing in the water when two of them started having trouble swimming, the police report said. “Three juveniles were playing in the water when two of the juveniles became in distress. It is unclear from statements if Joshua was already in the water or entered upon observing the juveniles in distress,” the police report said. The Silver Lake Warriors football league president and vice president did not immediately respond to request for comment. The league’s Facebook post said Curtis was a beloved coach and a “friend to so many in our community.” “Josh was an Army veteran, a family man, a coach, and a friend to so many in our community. His impact on the Warrior family was immediate and lasting,” the post said.
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