ZEBULON, N.C. – A 36-year-old Raleigh man is dead after jumping into the water Sunday to save a child.

• Jeremie Earp jumped into water to save a child.
• He managed to get the child to safety before slipping beneath the water.
• Child saved was eight years old.

Police said it happened at Little River Park in Zebulon around 6:15 p.m.

Jeremie Earp drowned in four to six feet of water while trying to save an eight-year-old boy in distress.

Police said Earp jumped in the water trying to help the boy, and was able to help get him to shallow water, but he disappeared under the water.

When Earp did not resurface, several people jumped into the water and began searching for him. After several minutes, he was found lying at the bottom.

Emergency crews performed CPR on Earp for nearly an hour but were unsuccessful.

Authorities say he was at the park with a group of friends. It's the first drowning there in at least 18 years. 

A "no swimming" sign at the park used to be there, but it went missing sometime within the last year.

Earp’s body was taken to the Medical Examiners’ Office in Chapel Hill.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Earp's funeral expenses.

This Gofundme.com site is not managed by Spectrum News. For more information on how the site works and the rules visit  http://www.gofundme.com/safety.