Two dead after man tries to save drowning woman, toddler off Georgia beach

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — A heroic act ended in tragedy when a man tried to save a woman and her child Sunday.

The Brunswick News reported that Glynn County Police Department and emergency crews were called to St. Simons Island, Georgia, near Massengale Park around 6 p.m.

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A Monday news release from the Glynn County Police Department said Aleisha Rankin, 34, of Jesup, Georgia, and her toddler were seen in the water struggling to make it back to shore. Gregory Grant, 39, jumped in to help them.

Rankin and her child made it back to shore with the help of several others on scene, but Grant went underwater and did not resurface, officials said.

Two off-duty nurses performed CPR on Rankin, according to The Brunswick News.

The news release said Rankin was transported to Southeast Georgia Health System - Brunswick Campus in critical condition, where she later died. WJAX reported that police said the toddler is in good condition, but could not confirm the child's relation to Rankin.

After hours of searching for Grant, family members found his body on the beach around 7:30 a.m. Monday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cox Media Group