CrossFit Coach Drowns Alongside Father in Puerto Rico after family got caught in riptide

A CrossFit Coach from Arizona drowned alongside his father after he dived to save his wife from a riptide while sprinkling his grandfather’s ashes in the ocean.

Damian Walker, 33, was described by his family as a ‘hero’ who gave ‘the ultimate sacrifice’ after saving his wife Salmeh’s life in Puerto Rico on March 3.

The coach and his family were in the sea spreading the ashes when Damian saw Salmeh being swept off by the current. Without hesitation, he leaped to rescue her but ended up getting stuck in the tide himself. 

His father, Luis ‘Lou’ Walker, then went in to save his son but ended up drowning too. His body has not yet been recovered. It’s unclear how Salmeh made it out of the ocean and survived. 

‘He would be proud of the way things happened. He always wanted to be a superhero, and in the end, that’s the way it ended up,’ Skip Divelbiss, Wildfire CrossFit co-owner, told KPHO.

Damian Walker, 33 (right), died alongside his father, Lou (left) in Puerto Rico on March 3. The two got stuck in a riptide. Lou’s body has not yet been recovered 

Damian Walker (right) was attempting to save his wife Salmeh (left) when he drowned. She had gotten stuck in the current when Walker’s family was spreading his grandfather’s ashes in the ocean

Heartbroken Salmeh took over her husband’s Instagram to announce his death last week.

‘My heart and soul, my loving husband has left this earth. My better half I love and miss you so much,’ she wrote.

A photo of the two on a beach during sunset was attached. It is unclear where and when the photo was taken or if it was one of the couple during the Puerto Rico trip.

Damian and Salmeh two shared three dogs – Dombalu, Hershey and Yoda, who ‘will forever miss their Daddy,’ his obituary reads. He was known to take abandoned dogs home with him. 

Dorothy Lamoureux, his mother, recalled his smile, selflessness and love for fitness that led him to earn bachelor of exercise science degree and work at Wildfire CrossFit.

‘Damian’s love and passion for life was so evident in every picture anyone ever took of him,’ she wrote in his obituary. ‘Damian always had a smile on his face, he always gave his all to others and always put others first.

‘Damian worked so hard on his body and wanted to be the healthiest he could be – he was very proud of his body and he deserved to be,’ she continued.

Heartbroken Salmeh took over her husband’s Instagram to announce his death last week. Damian worked at Wildfire CrossFit gym in Arizona

 Damian (left) was described by his family as a ‘hero’ who gave ‘the ultimate sacrifice’ by saving his wife Salmeh (right)

Damian and Salmeh two shared three dogs – Dombalu, Hershey and Yoda, who ‘will forever miss their Daddy,’ his obituary reads

Damian was a coach at Wildfire gym for 10 years and was known to have a ‘hero mentality.’

‘He was everyone’s hero. He had a way of making every single person he met feel special,’ Tiffany Divelbiss, gym co-owner, wrote in a GoFundMe.

Tiffany recalled Damian’s large heart and his love for the world, especially animals.

‘He would save every animal on the planet if he could,’ she wrote. ‘He left this life the way he lived it. All in and sacrificing himself for someone else.’

The CrossFit gym is celebrating their ‘hero’ on what would’ve been his 34th birthday on April 4.

As of Tuesday evening, more than $29,000 had been raised in support of his funeral expenses and grieving family.

Damian was a coach at Wildfire gym for 10 years and was known to have a ‘hero mentality’

The CrossFit gym is celebrating their ‘hero’ on what would’ve been his 34th birthday on April 4. Pictured: Wildfire gym

Lou’s grieving family asked the public for support as the search for his body continues

Meanwhile, Lou’s body hasn’t been recovered nearly four weeks after he plunged into the ocean to save his son. Without his body, the family cannot be issued a death certificate and he is still considered a missing person. 

Lou’s grieving family asked the public for support as the search for his body continues.

‘They were unable to locate my father’s body and the case has not been closed therefore we have not been issued a death certificate,’ Kassondra Walker, Lou’s daughter, wrote on a separate GoFundMe page.

‘Due to this we are unable to close and move things from my father’s name.’ 

Kassondra said her mother and sisters are financially overwhelmed attempting to cover bills that remain open in Lou’s name.

‘I understand that everyone is also dealing with their own life but my family would be forever grateful for anything you can share during this time,’ she wrote.

About $800 had been raised as of Tuesday evening.