A U.S. Marine who was awarded two Purple Hearts while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq drowned after rescuing two teens from a dam in Texas.
Bandera Marshal’s Office confirmed that Rodney Buentello, a retired master sergeant from San Antonio, died after diving in a river to save two teenagers.
The 42-year-old was visiting a city park in Bandera, Texas, when he saw a girl get swept away in a river. A teenage boy attempted to jump in the water to save the girl, prompting Buentello to make a rescue attempt.
Buentello was able to save both of the teens but drowned before he could be rescued, the city of Bandera Marshal’s Office said in a statement.
“A female attempted to walk across the dam (in violation of city ordinance) she was washed off and caught in the undertow. A male teenager went into the water to help her and quickly became caught as well,” the marshal’s office said.
He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was awarded the Purple Heart twice, KENS-TV reported. He worked at San Antonio’s John Jay High School as an instruction assistant after that.
The school hosted a vigil honoring him on Thursday.
According to a GoFundMe page, Buentello is survived by his wife, Lisa, and his three sons.
More than $40,000 has been raised for his family as of Friday afternoon. “We are immensely grateful for Rodney’s service to our country and for the ultimate sacrifice he made to save two young lives,” the page read.
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