Man drowns rescuing 3 children from Arkansas River, police say

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Police say a 19-year-old man drowned while trying to save three children from the Arkansas River.

Crawford County Sheriff Ron Brown says Erik Rene Santiago-Antanio's body was found Sunday in Van Buren, about 125 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Brown says Santiago-Antanio was fishing Saturday evening when two 14-year-old girls and a 10-year-old boy who were with him began to have difficulties swimming against the strong river current.

Santiago-Antanio, of Fort Smith, rescued the girls then returned to the water to assist the boy.

A second fisherman saw Santiago-Antanio go underwater and never resurface. Brown says the other fisherman, whose name has not been released, rescued the boy.

"Where the young man drowned, there's a lot of whirlpools," Darrell Plank, president of Johnson County Dive Team, told CBS affiliate KFSM-TV in Fort Smith. "It's real difficult when the water is coming up and continues to do that."

Plank said harsh weather conditions also made the search for difficult for search teams.

The wife of the surviving fisherman videoed the incident using her phone and divers used that to locate Santiago-Antanio's body.

Brown warned residents that the Arkansas River is a very dangerous place to swim. 

"These were just some kids and young adults just out having a good time on the weekend," he told the station. "I suggest if you're going to swim in it, wear some type of personal flotation device. Like these folks, they were swimming, got caught in the current and just couldn't get out."