Fred Marsh, 24, was swept underwater while helping his fiancée during a canoeing trip on Missouri’s Elk River.
NOEL, MO — A 24-year-old Arkansas police officer drowned while helping save his fiancée during a weekend trip on the Elk River, only hours after he proposed to her, according to her mother and authorities.
Fred Marsh, an officer with the Rogers Police Department, was canoeing with his fiancée, Hailey Lummus, and friends near Noel on Saturday, July 18. Lummus began struggling in the water while trying to return to a boat, her mother, Sheryl Padgett, told KHBS. Marsh entered the water to help and was caught in the current after Lummus was moved toward safety.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol incident report said Marsh went into the water to assist another person near Easy Street. Members of the group and other people nearby tried to reach him after he went underwater, but he did not resurface. He was pronounced dead at 10:08 a.m. Sunday, July 19, the report said.
Padgett said Marsh and her daughter had become engaged earlier Saturday after dating for three years. She described their relationship as loving and said Marsh had already become part of the family before the proposal.
“Even though legally he was not my son-in-law, he will forever be my son,” Padgett told KHBS. She said Marsh had formed a close bond with her after she lost her only son in an accident several years earlier. Padgett said she called Marsh her son and that he called her “mama.”
The Rogers Police Department announced Marsh’s death Sunday. Police Chief Jonathan Best remembered the young officer for his enthusiasm and willingness to serve others. Marsh was in his first year with the department.
Marsh’s cousin, Chris Frye, said the officer acted without considering his own safety when he saw someone in danger. Frye described Marsh as a hero whose final actions reflected the service expected of a police officer.
A motorcade escorted Marsh’s body through Northwest Arkansas on Monday, July 20. Relatives, police officers and community members gathered along the route to honor him. Rogers police Cpl. Don Lisi said Marsh had made a positive impression during his brief time with the department and that news of his death was difficult for colleagues to absorb.
Kourtlin Ricketts, Lummus’ sister, organized an online fundraiser to help the families with expenses. She remembered Marsh as a son, fiancé, officer, brother and friend. Funeral arrangements and any additional official findings about the drowning had not been publicly detailed in the available reports.
Author note: Last updated July 23, 2026.