(WWJ) — A young Detroit man received a posthumous honor Thursday weeks after he sacrificed his own life when he jumped in an Oakland County lake to save a co-worker's life.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says 20-year-old Marsalis Quintin Carter was working with a moving crew at a home near Taylor Lake in Rose Township on July 20 when the homeowners invited them to take a break from moving and cool off on the boat
While they were in the water, one of the members of the moving crew with a pool noodle was struggling to stay afloat, Carter helped them back to the boat. When a second crew member began struggling, the 20-year-old jumped back in the water and helped them to the boat.
But "unfortunately, Marsalis, who was likely exhausted according to a witness, went underwater and was lost, despite attempts to save him," according to the sheriff's office.
Divers from the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team and the Southeast Michigan Dive Group searched for more than 13 hours, eventually finding his body about 300 feet from shore in 35 feet of water.
On Thursday Sheriff Mike Bouchard presented a citizen citation to his mother, Daileen Carter of Clinton Township. Bouchard told WWJ's Luke Sloan he is "very proud of what he did, how selfless he was and how quick he was to save someone else."
"I wanted to take a moment to recognize the selfless and heroic act of her son who died saving the life of someone else," Bouchard said," per a press release. "While the fact that Marsalis gave his life saving a coworker may not diminish the family's pain, it may give a measure of solace and meaning to his incredible sacrifice."
Bouchard said he knows the pain of losing a loved one and knows the family has a "massive hole" after the 20-year-old's death, but hopes the recognition gives it "some semblance of purpose.
"Again, it doesn't diminish the hole in this family from the loss, but maybe it gives some semblance of meaning to that loss and that's why I wanted to have the mom in and recognize this amazing young man and tell the mom she obviously is a guiding principle for how this young man grew up and the kind of values and character he had and it's a testimony to him and to her," he said.
