by Marshall, Indiana — A brave act turned tragic on Friday evening when a West Michigan man lost his life trying to save a young girl from a dangerous current in an Indiana creek.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the incident happened around 7:30 p.m. in Sugar Creek, near the suspension bridge at Turkey Run State Park.
Witnesses said 56-year-old Maximo Disla-Garcia, of Wyoming, Michigan, saw the girl struggling in the fast-moving water and rushed in to help. Unfortunately, the strong current overwhelmed him, dragging him downstream into a strainer—a pile of rocks and debris—that trapped him underwater. He never resurfaced.
Thankfully, the girl managed to get out of the water safely on her own and was not injured.
Emergency crews, including conservation officers and local fire departments from Marshall, Bellmore, Montezuma, and Bloomingdale, responded quickly. They recovered Disla-Garcia’s body later that evening. Parke County EMS also assisted at the scene.
A preliminary autopsy at Terre Haute Regional Hospital confirmed the cause of death as accidental drowning.
Sugar Creek, where the incident occurred, is a tributary of the Wabash River that runs through the scenic Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, Indiana.
