Hero rescues son only to be sucked into the undertow of Drysdale Falls

Firefighter, father, and husband Sam London has tragically died after rescuing his son from a strong undertow at Drysdale Falls, Nova Scotia.

The incident occurred on Thursday, July 11, after the London family went to the falls as part of a weekday outing. One of London’s sons was caught by the undertow himself and thankfully saved, but it proved too much for Sam after the tremendous effort.

Sam London leaves behind his wife Tracy and his three sons: Gabriel, Nick and Joe.

“I’ve unfortunately had to make some of those phone calls that nobody wants to make, and the response was what you could never imagine,” London’s father-in-law Mike Smith told CTV Atlantic. “He was a hero father, a hero husband, son-in-law hero.”

Drysdale Falls has been the site of many such incidents, many of which have required rescue from emergency personnel, over the last few decades

“The falls are as dangerous as they are popular,” reports The Chronicle Herald. “Over the years, barricades and no-trespassing signs have been installed on the private property around the falls, but they are often ignored or torn down.”

Among the victims the Chronicle Herald has documented are a 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds, one 40-year-old man, one 42-year-old woman, and one 49-year-old man, all of which have been either hospitalized with serious injuries or died after being consumed by the vortex.

The family left the following message on their GoFundMe page:

“Sam was a devoted husband, father and family man. On July 9th Sam, Tracy, Gabby, Nick & Joe travelled to Drysdale Falls in Tatamagouche as a family. The family was swimming in the falls and one family member got stuck in a whirlpool. Sam jumped in to successfully rescue his son, but was instead swept into the undercurrent himself.”

They are currently requesting any possible donations to mitigate financial factors which may impact the well-being of their children.