Young Texas Boy Dies While Trying To Save Older Brother From Being Electrocuted

A heroic young boy from Texas recently paid the ultimate price in a desperate attempt to save his older brother from being electrocuted.

Fort Worth resident Alex Lopez, 12, and his younger brother Isaiah, 11, both perished this past Wednesday following a freak accident in Oakland Lake Park that involved downed power lines and a hard-to-see watery terrain, according to the New York Post.

“Police said the brothers were hanging out with friends,” the report explains, “when Alex stepped in a puddle near downed power lines and was electrocuted.”

Family members have identified the young brothers who were electrocuted by downed power lines in Fort Worth. https://t.co/mAWyZOgN5k pic.twitter.com/tVWdjjfoKn

— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) March 30, 2017

As the volts ran through the older Lopez’s body, Isaiah reportedly yelled out to the other children who accompanied them to Oakland Lake, “Go get help, I’m going to save Alex.”

Out of instinct, it was then that the younger Lopez brother reached for his sibling’s hand and like Alex, was promptly electrocuted and ultimately died in the Texas park alongside him.

Witnesses went on to describe the nature of the scene to police once they arrived, but rescue efforts were fruitless for a time due to the power lines causing a fire near a grassy area close to the boys’ bodies. Fire workers turned up at the park shortly thereafter, but unfortunately, Alex and Isaiah were pronounced dead at around 8:13 that evening, more than two hours after the first emergency response team was notified of the situation.

“Given the nature of the injuries received and the hazard still at the scene,” Fort Worth Fire Department Lt. Kyle Falkner explained to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “the crews had to make the difficult decision at that point that they had to prevent any further injury and not allow anyone into the area until those lines could be de-energized.”

Furthermore, Richard Zavala, the director of parks and recreation for the Texas city, relayed that while he was aware that the recreational area could be considered a “high priority” zone due to the stormy weather, the exact location where the brothers were electrocuted was so remote, city workers weren’t able to reach it on foot beforehand to cut off the power.

“[The incident occurred] in the utility easement [both] beyond the parkland,” he expressed, “and beyond the developed area of the parkland [as well].”

A woeful Angela Jenkins, the brothers’ former stepmother, relayed to the Star Tribute that Alex and Isaiah, like most boys their age, were a bit troublesome at times, but wholly good children.

“Alex was usually the protector,” she said, additionally noting the two as “inseparable,” “[but] this time, it was [the other way around].”

“They were your stereotypical boys,” she went on to say about them.

“They caused problems sometimes, but they had really good hearts.”

Alex and Isaiah reportedly lived with their grandmother and attended the International Leadership school in North Richland Hills. On Friday, reps for the Texas-based educational institution shared a link for a GoFundMe page on their Facebook page that was backed the family of the electrocuted brothers.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share [the news of Alex and Isaiah Lopez’s] passing in a tragic accident on Wednesday,” the post partially reads.

“As we continue to have the Lopez family in our thoughts and prayers, click the link and support them during this very difficult time.”

The crowdfunding page itself notes Alex and Isaiah as being two “bright lights [who] were loved by their family and friends,” including their two youngest siblings, a pair of sisters.

Family mourns loss of two brothers electrocuted by downed power lines https://t.co/KRf8nXzwzT pic.twitter.com/GAnXp6yTjL

— WFAA (@wfaa) March 30, 2017

“Their family, classmates, teachers, and administrators miss the boys already,” it goes on to say, “but have many good memories [of them] to cherish.”

A candlelit memorial in honor of the electrocuted brothers is said to be taking place on Friday night at the same Texas park where the two died.

[Featured Image by Konoplystka/iStock]