A 9-year-old Illinois boy is being hailed a hero after he died while desperately trying to save his mother from an SUV that was submerged in a retention pond, police in Aurora said.
The SUV of Maria Ramirez, the boy's mother, was speeding and hit another car, causing it to swerve across the roadway and plunge into the water. The 31-year-old was under water for 40 minutes, leading to her death.
Ronaldo Alanis-Ramirez attempted to save his mother from the vehicle but was pulled out of the water after 30 minutes. The boy died before noon Sunday at a Park Ridge Hospital, police said.
His 7-year-old sister was pulled safely from the water when a police officer saw her thrashing in the water.
"She said, 'I told him to come with me,'" said Lesly Merlo, a school parent liaison who spoke to the child, The Beacon News reported. "He said ... 'I have to go back for mom.'"
"They're just a very nice family. We're going to miss them," said Julia Doverspike, the school principal of Dieterich Elementary School, The Beacon News reported.
Both Maria Ramirez and the Ronaldo were remembered because of their amazing personalities. The boy's classmates and teachers mourned his death.
"He will forever be remembered as a hero," friends of the family wrote on a fundraising site that has reached $16,000 in donations. "His last actions on earth were to save his little sister and his attempt also save his mom. He is now an angel in heaven."
