Fred Marsh was 24 years old, a rookie police officer in Rogers, Arkansas, and on the morning of Saturday, July 19, he asked the question that had been three years in the making: he proposed to Hailey. She said yes. Hours later, the couple went canoeing with friends on the Elk River, near Noel, Missouri.
The current caught Hailey as she tried to get back to the boat. Fred jumped into the water along with another officer from his department. They managed to pull her out alive. But he, exhausted from the effort, sank beneath the water and never resurfaced.
His body was recovered the following day. He had recently graduated from the police academy and was just beginning his career. His mother-in-law described him as someone who never hesitated to help others, guided by his faith. On the same day he began building a future, he gave everything for the person he loved most. 💔
