A Corona woman Monday grappled with shock and sadness after her husband drowned and died in Lake Perris.
Hadi Manafi was kayaking with his 7-year-old son Saturday when it capsized, law enforcement told NBC Los Angeles.
Mojgan Manafi, Hadi’s widow, said her last memory of her husband, whom she called the love of her life, was how excited he was to go kayaking with their son for the first time.
“They loved it. They were laughing so loud,” Mojgan Manafi recalled. “Arti (our son) was waving and yelling, ‘Mommy we are having so much fun.’”
The widow said her family left their home in Corona Saturday and drove to Lake Perris to enjoy the day on the water with friends.
“(My husband) enjoyed his lunch then they went on the kayak. They had so much fun, and they came back,” Manafi said.
Cellphone video from the lake showed the father and son going kayaking, and Hadi Manafi was seen wearing a life jacket.
After the first run, the father-son duo decided to go back in the water. But neither Hadi nor his son was wearing a jacket during the second kayaking trip.
“When the kayak flipped over, he was scared to lose my son. He had a heart attack and drowned,” the widow explained. “He was always my hero, but now he showed more than being a hero because he saved my son.”
Authorities confirmed they were sent to Moreno Beach at around 4 p.m. Saturday and found a man unconscious and submerged in the lake. The 7-year-old son was holding his father, trying to help keep his head above the water.
CPR was performed on the father, but it did not save the man, first responders said.
Mojgan Manafi said she and her husband, a 55-year-old city engineer, had recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. Now, the widow said she’s trying to stay strong for their young son.
“Physically, he is good, but mentally, I’m sure he’s shattered,” the mom said of her son.
State parks urge all people to wear a life jacket when going in the water. Children 12 and under are required to wear one under state law.