Man, 20, drowns while saving 9 year old girl

Man drowns in river saving girl

The link isn't really functioning. But that's sad.

No I couldn't access the link either.

I think we would all like to think in our braver moments, we might give up our life to rescue a child. This guy did just that - he's a hero, in my eyes.

I hope the little girl's parents remember this day for the rest of their lives. Everything about this story, except for the heroism of Alan Heck, pisses me off.

Why?
is this a notoriously dangerous river? wasn't it just bad circumstances and bad luck? perhaps you are suggesting she should have been better supervised - if her parents were there that is.

Not only is it extremely polluted (every town along the Cowlitz dumps their sewage into it), but ever since Mt. St. Helens blew and sent mud, silt, and debris down the Cowlitz River non-stop for days, it is way too unpredictable for anybody to swim, much less children. The little girl stepped off a shelf in the river bed and immediately dropped to over 8 ft. depth. At least one person drowns in it every year.

Just curious as to if her parents were there, who was supervising this child and why didn't the person supervising her not try to save her?

Here's the copy and paste of the above link, for those who couldn't see it..

" The body of 20-year-old Allen Heck was recovered from the Cowlitz River at about 10:45 a.m. Saturday.

He was located approximately 50 yards down river from where he was last seen, near the old Kelso water treatment plant off Pacific Avenue in North Kelso.

Heck jumped into the river at approximately 3 p.m. Friday to save a 9-year-old girl who was playing on a sand bar when she fell off a shelf and was suddenly in water more than 8 feet deep.

Witnesses said Heck helped the girl escape the water but then he, too, slipped beneath the surface of the river.

Search crews ? including a Coast Guard Helicopter and Cowlitz County Dive Team members ? searched the river into Friday evening before suspending their search and resuming Saturday morning.

Approximately 30 volunteer divers and support personnel from the Cowlitz Sheriff?s Office, Kelso Police, Cowlitz County Search and Rescue, Cowlitz Dive/Rescue and two Clark County Dive/Rescue groups participated in the search.

"Our thanks to all of the volunteers who came and assisted in the location of Mr. Heck's body," said Cowlitz County Sheriff's Captain Mark Nelson in a press release Saturday. "This will bring some well needed closure for Mr. Heck's family. They must be incredibly proud, even in their loss."

Heck?s body will be turned over to the Cowlitz county Coroner for official determination of his death.

Editor's note: Due to incorrect information provided by authorities, previous versions of this story stated that the girl Allen Heck was attempting to save is 3 years old. We have confirmed that the girl is 9 years old.

For more on this story, check tdn.com for updates and see Sunday?s print edition of The Daily News."

Related article:

Authorities identify man who saved girl in Cowlitz River