Family members of the man who went missing on Canyon Lake, Texas after saving his toddler for drowning have been joined by friends and even strangers as they continue to search for him.
As per reports, Rob Berlingeri has been missing since disappearing underwater on Sunday evening, when he fell out of his boat along with his young daughter.
Rob, said to be an experienced boater, was at Canyon Lake with family and friends, and was standing at the rear of his boat with his two-year-old when it was hit by a wave.
Father and daughter both went into the water, prompting the child’s mother to jump in after them.
Rob’s sister, Sarina Berlingeri, recalled: “The mother of the baby jumped into the water and actually swam to try and help them. And they were passing the baby back and forth, both of them almost drowning to keep the baby alive.”
Rob’s daughter and her mother were rescued by people on another boat, but when they went back for Rob, he was gone.
“He was an excellent father,” Sarina said of her brother.
“He was always with (his daughter), very protective over her. And he was just an awesome person. All of us in our family are very tight and very close. And so this has been a really difficult time for us.”
A search is now underway to locate the missing father, with Texas Parks and Wildlife having stated that game wardens are using side-scan sonar. A dive team is also on standby.
“The search effort will continue from sunrise to sunset each day until the individual is located,” said Kirk McDonnell, with TPWD.
Sarina explained: “I feel like I don’t think he’s alive. But we want his body.
“We want to give him a proper burial. And at this point, we just want to have him with us so we can make that happen.”
We sincerely hope that Rob is found sooner rather than later.
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