Heroic Father's Final Act of Courage
A dedicated United States Navy sailor made the ultimate sacrifice, drowning after successfully saving his two children from perilous ocean conditions at a Hawaiian beach his family visited weekly. The tragic incident occurred on November 22 at Waiapua‘a Bay in Hawaii.
Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jeffrey Diaz, a 47-year-old sailor from Florida, managed to help both his boys safely return to shore before losing his own life in the powerful surf, according to an official press release from the Kaua‘i Police Department.
The Desperate Struggle for Survival
Emergency services were dispatched to the popular beach around 3pm following multiple reports of a swimmer in serious distress. Personnel from the Ocean Safety Bureau and the Barking Sands Fire and Emergency Services Department recovered Diaz from the water and immediately began performing lifesaving procedures.
Despite their vigorous efforts, the heroic sailor was pronounced dead after being transported to Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital.
Keyonna Fairley, Diaz's partner and mother of their children, provided a heartbreaking account to Hawaii News Now. She revealed that Diaz first instructed his older son to head back to shore before swimming out to rescue his younger son, who had been pulled out to sea by a large wave.
"From what my son said, he was in the middle of the ocean, and his dad was swimming with one arm trying to get him to safety," Fairley told the outlet, visibly emotional.
She continued with the devastating details: "Then he got on his dad’s back and swam for a little bit, and then my son said that Jeff told him, 'Ok bub, you’re going to have to get off my back. I’m going to drown.'"
A Legacy of Love and Service
Diaz used his final moments to give his son the strength to survive, urging him: "I want you to go. I want you to swim. Don’t stop. You got this. Don’t give up. I love you."
According to his partner, Diaz drowned moments after delivering these powerful words of encouragement. His son later told his mother he desperately wanted to turn back and help his father but feared he would also drown in the attempt.
Fairley shared that the family plans to "sit in a circle and talk about our memories of him, so we never forget him." She remembered Diaz as a family man who looked forward to simple pleasures - retiring from service, walking his children to school, and grilling meals for his loved ones.
The sailor had often been stationed away from his family during his naval career and was looking forward to marrying Fairley after completing his service. Diaz had enlisted in the Navy in 1997 and earned promotion to master-at-arms 1st class in 2022.
In an official statement, Navy Capt. Robert Prince, commanding officer of PMRF, expressed the community's grief: "We are heartbroken by the passing of our shipmate and friend, MA1 1st Class Jeffrey Diaz and extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends and shipmates who are grieving."
The tragedy was compounded by its timing - Diaz died just one day before his birthday. An outpouring of support flooded Fairley's Facebook page, with one person writing: "Thank you for sharing this. His last words were a testament to the man he was. So supportive, encouraging, and loving. The world lost a beautiful soul."
