North Carolina man drowns saving his children
The family of the man who tragically drowned after rescuing his children from North Carolina's Yadkin River are preparing to say their final goodbyes. Friends shared his incredible legacy with our sister station WXII.
Friends of Benny Bowers say his family was his biggest passion and priority, and to know him, was to love him.
"Nothing's ever going to be the same without him," said longtime family friend Dena O'Neal.
Investigators say on April 28, first responders were alerted to a man trying to help his struggling children on the river. While he was able to get them to safety, that man never resurfaced. The next day, investigators found and identified him as 44-year-old Benny Bowers.
"It still doesn't feel real today," said O'Neal. "I think it's going to take time for the community and family and friends to all figure out how to mend our broken hearts and to fill that void to be honest with you."
Speaking for the family at his viewing Sunday, she told WXII Benny is a hero, and that for him family was everything.
"He has great children," she said. "He was such a wonderful father, very involved with his children every day in sports. A very involved father, and a very good family man. He's the person that everybody would call if there was something wrong. He would have been there no matter what."
She said for those who knew Benny, every memory made with him was a good one, and he never failed to light up a room.
"If he was there, there was always a good time," she said. "Our memories are usually with him. Just coming to visit and grilling out. There's no one particular memory that I can tell you is better than the other, every time together with with Benny was wonderful."
Dena said it'll take a long time for the family to heal, but there’s a simple way people can honor Benny's legacy.
"Love your family," she said. "Be respectful to people, and honor him as he would honor you."
A GoFundMe has been started for his wife and five kids to help with expenses, and friends are contributing to a meal train as the Bowers family takes time to figure out what's next.