Grandfather drowns near dam after heroic rescue helps grandchild to safety

A 71-year-old man drowned in a Wisconsin dam over the weekend after helping his "struggling" grandchild in the water.

The Barron County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call on Saturday afternoon regarding the grandfather, who had gone into the water below the Mikana Dam on the shore of Red Cedar Lake, located over 200 miles northwest of Milwaukee, to help a child having difficulty in the water.

The children had made it to shore safely, but he was "unaccounted for," according to a news release posted to Facebook.

Local agencies conducted a search of the surrounding area but were unable to locate the grandfather, Chris Fitzgerald, Baron County Sheriff, wrote in the post. The grandfather's remains were ultimately recovered by a dive team, who were later contacted to search in the water.

An initial investigation into the drowning indicated that the "grandpa had taken his 2 grandkids fishing and swimming in the area. Both kids were wearing life jackets when one of them started to struggle," according to the Barron County Sheriff's Department.

He went into the water to help, maneuvering them to where they could stand and ultimately make it to shore.

The grandfather then "went under and drowned" for an unknown reason.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this time. Special thanks to all of the first responders who jumped into action to do all they could for the family," the post read.