Human Interest Real People Real People Tragedy Dad, 41, Dies After Saving 2 Kids from the Mississippi River: ‘True Hero’ "He was my rock and did so much for anyone and everyone he knew," said Cody Jay Pope's partner, Cheryl Holzknecht By Brian Brant Brian Brant Brian Brant is an Associate Editor, Human Interest, at PEOPLE. His work has previously appeared 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 and NewsBreak. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 15, 2024 12:40PM EDT Close Cody Jay Pope. Photo: Cody Pope/Facebook The body of a 41-year-old Minnesota father has been found days after he rescued his kids from the Mississippi River, authorities said. The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as Cody Jay Pope in a Facebook post on Sunday, July 14. Authorities said Pope and his two kids were swimming on a sandbar in the water at Rivers Edge Commons in Elk River on Friday, July 12, when the two children began to "struggle in the current." In a GoFundMe fundraiser, a family member said Pope had taken his daughter and son "to the river to frolic in the water on an extremely hot day." Father Drowns While Saving His 3 Kids from New Jersey River, Police Say Pope "grabbed onto one of the juveniles and was able to get her to the sandbar," the sheriff's office said. "[He] then jumped in to assist the other juvenile. [Pope] was able to support the second juvenile in the water for a short time and push that child to shore before the adult disappeared under the water." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Elk River firefighters and police rescued the child from the water. "The children told firefighters and police officers that their dad was missing," authorities said. Marianne Jackson told Fox affiliate KMSP-TV that she watched the terrifying incident unfold. 25-Year-Old Oakland Firefighter Drowns in San Diego, Four Years After Firefighter Dad Died on Duty "It was just awful," she added. "I was shaking by the time this thing was over, because this poor little child, she was watching her dad." After two days of searching, the sheriff's office said in an update on July 14 that the Wright County Water Patrol retrieved Pope's body near Oliver Kelley Farm around 9:40 a.m. local time. 17-Year-Old Iowa Prom King Disappears in Lake and Drowns: 'Horrible Tragedy' Pope's partner Cheryl Holzknecht said in a Facebook post on July 14 that she will "spend the rest of my life missing Cody." "He was an amazing daddy and a true hero in his last moments," she added. "I don’t know how I will make it without him, he was my rock and did so much for anyone and everyone he knew."