A grandfather in Alabama is being hailed as a hero after he suffered a heart attack while saving his grandson during a family vacation.
The family of Charles ‘Chuck’ Graves are left heartbroken after the 75-year-old saved his five-year-old grandson from drowning.
Graves had noticed that the child had been pulled into a current and swept into the waters off Dauphin Island, Alabama.
He dove in, swam to the boy and brought him back to safer water before handing him over to a family member.
The family said Grave’s final act showed how important family was to him. Valerie Belt had said how ‘he loved them all’
Graves dove into the water to save his five-year-old grandson before he died of a heart attack
Graves’ obituary reiterated that nothing was more important to him than his family, and that a Celebration of Life will be held after his cremation, as he wished.
Graves instructed them to return to shore, but did not comply. Family members knew something else was going on and initially feared he was drowning.
First responders got Graves out and he was flown in a helicopter to the hospital, where he arrived in critical condition.
The heroic grandfather had suffered a fatal heart attack after saving the boy.
“We think … Chuck already knew something was wrong or going on because he never attempted to swim in even though he was already out of danger,” Grave’s daughter-in-law Valerie Belt said. WALA.
The family said Grave’s final act showed how important family was to him. Belt had said how “he loved them all.”
‘That was always the only thing. He was absolutely one of a kind,” Belt added.
Graves was born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky, before moving to Estero, Florida. The family visited the beach vacation spot on October 9.
“He just wanted to have all his kids together all the time,” daughter-in-law Valerie Belt said
The grandfather is survived by a son, two daughters, four grandchildren and his wife Maura. Belt said he made it a point to travel and love his family, especially after retiring from the U.S. Navy after four years of service.
“He just wanted to have all his kids together all the time,” Belt told the outlet.
According to his obituaryGraves retired to Florida and spent much of his time on the water “catching that big fish.” He and his wife married in 1975 and the couple would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January.
His obituary reiterated that nothing was more important to him than his family, and that a Celebration of Life will be held after his cremation, as he wished.
