JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) – An Alabama father who drowned while trying to save his children is being remembered as a happy man who put family and faith first.
Israel Manual Montecino-Navarro, 35, drowned Sunday afternoon while trying to save several of his children from the Cahaba River.
Authorities say the children had become submerged in deep water while wading at the Cahaba Blue Way River Canoe Launch. While trying to rescue the children, Montecino-Navarro also became submerged and never resurfaced.
The father and his children reportedly did not know how to swim.
Irondale Fire and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office found Montecino-Navarro’s body in the water after deploying drone teams. His children survived the incident.
The circumstances surrounding the father’s death are under investigation.
‘His family was his whole world’
Montecino-Navarro is survived by his wife and five children. For several years, he had worked at two Chick-fil-A locations in Gardendale and Fultondale.
“If you’ve eaten here (Gardendale) in the last two years, there’s a pretty good chance that Israel cooked your piece of chicken,” said Mike Holmes, the franchise owner of both locations.
Holmes said Montecino-Navarro’s actions in the river were consistent with who he was.
“As tragic as it is, obviously, it sounds exactly like something he would do. His family was his whole world,” Holmes said.
He described Montecino-Navarro as a man of deep faith who was known for his consistent demeanor at work.
“It wasn’t unusual for him to go on his break… He’d be sitting in his car reading his Bible,” Holmes said. “He was just such a happy guy. I mean, he just always had a smile. Everyone loved him, and everybody loved working with him.”
The two Chick-fil-A locations are now raising money for Montecito-Navarro’s family. They are also asking for prayers as the family grieves.
“It’s such a heartbreaking time for everybody, and you feel helpless, really. It’s like, ‘What can I do?’” Holmes said.
He said the community response has been meaningful during an overwhelming time.
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