Black Cop Drowns Saving White Fiancée

Published July 29, 2026 at 4:45 AM EDT

The couple had become engaged just hours before the accident.

ROGERS, AK -- What began as one of the happiest days of their lives ended in unimaginable tragedy.

Rogers, Arkansas, police officer Fred Marsh, 24, drowned while trying to save his newly engaged fiancée after she was caught in a strong current during a canoe trip on Missouri's Elk River. The couple had become engaged just hours before the accident.

Marsh and another officer entered the water to rescue Hailey Lummus. She was pushed safely back to a canoe, but Marsh was overcome by the current and disappeared beneath the water. His body was recovered the following day.

A first-year officer who graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in April, Marsh is being remembered by colleagues and family as a selfless public servant who gave his life trying to save the woman he loved.

Read more: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/jul/19/rogers-officer-drowns-while-canoeing-with-fiancee/