This is such an unimaginable tragedy.
According to a GoFundMe page, beloved CrossFit trainer from Arizona Damian Walker “gave the ultimate sacrifice” earlier this month after saving his family members from drowning. The co-owner of the Wildfire CrossFit gym where Damian worked, Tiffany Divelbiss, told KPHO the 33-year-old went to Puerto Rico with his family to spread his grandfather’s ashes in the ocean. However, things went horribly wrong. During the ceremony on March 3, his wife Salmeh suddenly got swept away by a rip current and he “jumped in” to save her. But that was the last time anyone saw Damian alive. Tiffany said:
“Damian jumped in, as he 100% lived his life with that hero mentality, ‘I’m just gonna go in and save them.’”
But it gets worse. Damian’s father dove in after him, but they both sadly drowned. His dad’s body has not been found yet. Heartbreaking.
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Per the Sacramento Bee, the fitness instructor’s wife survived the incident. While this is no doubt a horrific situation, Wildfire co-owner Skip Divelbiss noted to KPHO that Damian “would be proud of the way things happened,” explaining:
“He always wanted to be a superhero, and in the end, that’s the way it ended up. To have him and that personality ripped away, there’s been a huge hole in everybody’s hearts.”
Following the tragedy, a GoFundMe was created to help raise money for his memorial service. In the caption for the fundraiser, the organizers remembered Damian as “everyone’s hero,” adding:
“He was the spark that lit the fire for so many people. He loved, lived, and breathed this place and this community. His spark truly spread like WildFire. He was everyone’s hero. He had a way of making every single person he met feel special. He would save every animal on the planet if he could. He left this life the way he lived it. All in and sacrificing himself for someone else. The community and family are still in shock in processing this tragedy.”
Our hearts break for this family. They were already going through the painful time of having to say goodbye to one loved one, and now they are dealing with the loss of two more following this tragedy. It’s so, so awful. We are keeping them in our thoughts at this time. If you would like to help, you can visit the GoFundMe created for the family HERE.
[Image via Wildfire CrossFit/YouTube, Damian Walker/Facebook]
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