Parents of boy,16, who died saving kids from Florida current say hero son enter manhood in final act

A heroic 16-year-old boy from Georgia drowned during spring break after drifting into a rapid to save four small children who were being dragged out to sea.

Bryce Brooks was enjoying his vacation off the coast of Pensacola, Florida on April 6 when he saw a group of children become trapped in a wave action.

Despite not knowing them, Brooks sprang into action immediately, swimming against the strong current and rescuing the children before being swept under the water.

His grieving father, Shivy Brooks, said his son called for help to get the children to safety.

Family friend and father of three Charles ‘Chuck’ Johnson failed to see Brooks surface and rushed to save him before he drowned too.

Crystal Brooks, the teen’s mother, said the day her son died, “he stepped into his manhood to save these kids.”

‘That makes me proud. It doesn’t take away an ounce of pain, but it makes me proud of our son.”

Bryce Brooks was enjoying his family vacation off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, on April 6 when he saw a group of children drowning in the distance. Pictured: Brooks, right, with father Shivy Brooks and mother Crystal Brooks

Bryce was one of three teens who rushed to help the kids, while three others ran to inform adults about the incident.

The other two teens, who were not identified, emerged from the water as searchers struggled to find the bodies of Bryce and Charles.

Their bodies were later retrieved and flown to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the teen’s family died of cardiac arrest. The four children have not been identified.

There were no lifeguards on duty at the time of the incident, despite yellow flags – warning against moderate currents – being posted around the sandy beach.

“Our son Bryce, being selfless, as he was being pulled by the current himself, literally cried out for help, not for himself, but he cried out for help for the little kids he looked out for,” said Shivy, the father of the teen. at a press conference.

Bryce is a hero. He literally saved the lives of four children at the cost of his own.’

The teen was an honor student at Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was also a member of the fashion club and played the piano.

His heartbroken mother was proud of who he was and grieved that he couldn’t see his life.

“We’ll never see Bryce grow up and become the full man he was going to be,” Crystal Brooks said.

The brave Charles Johnson, who died with Bryce, is survived by his three children, Brandon, Bryce and Braylen, and his wife Lynn.

Charles was a basketball coach who devoted his time as a mentor to children with the Georgia organization, Healthy Lifestyles Healthy Kids.

Family friend and father of three, Charles ‘Chuck’ Johnson, then saw Brooks fail to surface and rushed to save him before he drowned too. Brave Charles Johnson, who died with Bryce, is survived by his three children, Brandon, Bryce and Braylen, and wife Lynn

Crystal Brooks, the teen’s mother, said the day her son died, “he stepped into his manhood to save these kids.” Pictured: Crystal and Shivy Brooks

Bryce and Charles were airlifted to the hospital where they were pronounced dead

His grieving father, Shivy Brooks, said his son called for help to get the children to safety

Despite the teen being pulled underwater, his family said he died of cardiac arrest. Pictured: Bryce with his father

The teenager was an honor student at Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was also a member of the fashion club and played the piano

The family wants to honor Bryce’s memory by offering free swimming lessons to every child in Atlanta. They also want to create a scholarship for those at Bryce’s high school to become certified lifeguards.

a GoFundMe account set up to raise money for the Brooks family and Bryce’s funeral expenses read that he was “a selfless young man full of passion and love of life.”

“Bryce’s actions have saved several lives,” the GoFundMe says. By Tuesday, more than $77,000 had been raised.

Several people may remember the Bryce and Brooks family from the Netflix show ‘Instant Dream Home’. The episode aired in 2022 and featured a crew renovating their home in Atlanta.