A former MLB prospect who became a South Carolina lawman died a hero after selflessly jumping into treacherous waters to save a family of five from a rip current — and was swept away in front of his wife and three children.

Childers was a former professional baseball player, spending 2009 and 2010 in the Baltimore Orioles farm system. After retiring from the sport, he worked as a Cobb County police officer and received a lifetime achievement award for saving lives, per a GoFundMe established to help his family.