Miami-Dade Police are investigating the Sunday afternoon drowning death of a man who jumped into waters near Virginia Key to help save two kids.
The incident happened around 3 p.m., when the two children began to experience distress while swimming on the beach near the Miami Seaquarium at the 4400 block of the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Two men, neither related to the kids, jumped into the water to save them. One man drowned during the rescue, the other survived.
The man who died was identified by police as Douglas Frank Butler. Butler was visiting Miami from Gainesville, and had just celebrated his 47th birthday on Saturday.
The children, a boy and a girl, were pulled from the water and taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police said.
Police said they're still trying to determine whether Butler drowned as a result of a medical condition.
"This is a tragic incident, this is an unfortunate situation where a rescuer becomes a victim," said Det. Roy Rutland.
