Man dies trying to rescue son from aqueduct

(FOX 11) - The body of a man was discovered by a dive team Sunday after he jumped into an aqueduct to rescue his son.

San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said it received calls about a man in the water, which goes 18 feet deep in some parts.

When they arrived they came in contact with a 9-year-old boy who said he and his father were riding along the water on their bikes when his bike lost control and he fell into the aqueduct.

His father jumped in the water to push him out, but never resurfaced.

Public Information Officer, Cindy Bachman, said aqueducts don't often appear as dangerous as they are.

"The water is cold," Bachman said. "It moves very swiftly and it's extremely difficult to hold onto anything in there to keep your head above water."

She added that people often ride along the water, what was not allowed but rarely were there deadly accidents.

"The father did what any reasonable person would do. He went in and rescued that boy."

Dive teams searched through the water for an hour and a half. They found the 31-year-old man not too far from where he jumped in.

Bachman said though riding bikes and vehicles along the aqueduct was illegal and could get trespassers ticketed, people still did it.

"The signs do say, you know, no swimming, no vehicles allowed in there or bicycles and that's for the safety of people. However the signs do say that you can walk in and fish so...it is a little blurry."

The victim's identity was not immediately released.