Father Drowns Saving Son in American River Tragedy

PLACER COUNTY — On Sunday, August 18th, around 11:40 a.m., the Placer County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man failing to resurface in the American River. According to the man’s family members, he had jumped in after his son, who was struggling to swim. The child was brought back to shore by a bystander and, though taken to the hospital, is expected to recover.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team was dispatched to find the man, identified as 38-year-old Zabiullah Haliqyar, but they could not locate him in time. His body was found on Monday, downstream from the site where he had disappeared near No Hands Bridge. The Cal Fire Technical Rescue Team and California Highway Patrol also assisted in the search.