Honoring a hero: Fresno man who sacrificed his life to save children to be celebrated

The tragic death of a Fresno resident who drowned while saving children he’d never met appears to have touched many people around the world.

Manjeet Singh, 29, died Wednesday while helping rescue two of three kids who had been swept away by a swift, cold current in the Kings River near Reedley Beach. The third child ended up getting swept away and remains in critical condition at Valley Children’s Hospital.

A celebration of life ceremony, meanwhile, will be held for Singh at 6 p.m. Sunday.

And if the outpouring of support for Singh on a GoFundMe page is an indication, many might also attend the celebration.

In just two days, more than $91,000 was raised to bring Singh’s body back to his family in India and further help his relatives.

“Manjeet died as a hero,” said friend Gurdeep Singh Shergill. “In the moment when the kids were drowning, and their mom was yelling for someone to save them, that guy didn’t even think twice.

“What I’ve seen since is so much support. People from England, people from India, I got a call from some in Canada, they all want to help and applaud Manjeet’s willingness to rush to the aid of others.”

He saved children from drowning in the Kings River

Shergill said much of the support has come from within the Sikh community, but people of other ethnicities have also helped.

“It’s come from all people who love humanity,” Shergill said. “A man died saving (the) children of a stranger.

“This tragic event has united people from especially India, Mexico (where the mother and children are from) and the United States.”

Malkiat Singh, who was at the Kings River scene with Singh and two friends, said his brother-in-law was always the type of person to help others.

He said Singh first tried to help the children by tossing his turban at them to use it as a rope and pull them to safety.

When that didn’t work, Singh rushed into the water despite not knowing how to swim, Malkiat Singh said.

“He’s a hero,” Malkiat Singh said. “It happened very fast. The children had gone out too far. Manjeet did not hesitate to save them.

“The water, though, it was moving too fast. It was deep. It took Manjeet.”

Manjeet Singh’s celebration of life in Fresno

Singh moved from Punjab, India, to the United States two years ago.

He lived in Fresno for the past two months and was going to school to become a truck driver.

Malkiat Singh said they all had gone to Reedley Beach that day to hang out.

“Manjeet was very happy to be in Fresno,” Malkiat Singh said. “He had family here. He was trying to become a truck driver. He had big dreams to buy his own truck.

“It’s good the children were saved. But it’s very sad for Manjeet’s family.”

Singh’s celebration of life is open to the public and scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Sikh Institute of Fresno (4827 N. Parkway).

Organizers request those attending wear masks and maintain social distancing.

This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 8:54 AM.