Father Drowned at Emma Long Park on Easter Remembered

The Brief

• Angel Savarin, aged 30, tragically drowned on Easter Sunday.
• Savarin was swimming at Emma Long Metropolitan Park when he submerged and failed to come back up.
• His friends are trying to raise funds so his family can participate in his funeral.

AUSTIN - Friends are discussing more about Arowadj the man who died from drowning at Emma Long Metropolitan Park on Easter Sunday.

Remembering Angel Sarvarin

Angel Sarvarin, aged 30, was born in Venezuela. His relatives, which includes his four-year-old child, resides in Peru. He traveled to Austin with the intention of working and sending financial support back home. Angel found employment at Flores Mexican restaurant.

What Happened

Sarvarin invited a bunch of buddies to commemorate Easter at the park. A few of them went into the water. Sarvarin mentioned he would feel alright about going for a swim. Some of his friends were paddling around in a kayak.

" Viviana Zarco, who is a friend of Sarvarin, mentioned: "Suddenly, one of our friends started yelling repeatedly, ‘Angel is drowning.’ I got up right away. Everyone else sitting around also rose from their seats. At this moment, we saw him bobbing up and down in the water while frantically waving his arms. Without delay, I dialed 911. My spouse attempted to rush over, but he reported being held back by strong currents."

Sadly, those in the kayak as well as the bystanders couldn't reach him.

"A lot of people tried to reach where he was at, but nobody made it. That's just very traumatic to see someone ask for help and just not being able to get there in time," Zarco said.

Crews didn't recover his body until three hours after he went under.

As friends and loved ones remember who Sarvarin was as a person, they're also raising money for funeral expenses.

"He was a very happy person all the time, very outgoing. He always made you smile, no matter what your day was like," Zarco said.

Sarvarin has a brother in Austin. The rest of his family is in Peru.

"His purpose was to help his family, and anybody knew that that was his purpose," Zarco said.  "We are asking for the GoFundMe donations to get him back home so he can be with his mom, wife, and daughter just because they are not able to come here to Austin."

You can contribute to his GoFundMe here .

Swimming Safety

Sarvarin's friends advise everyone to exercise caution around water, regardless of swimming ability.

“You never know,” Zarco stated. “Some areas of the lake are extremely deep, and when boats go by, they can create something akin to a whirlpool at the bottom.”

The Source

Information in this article comes from Austin Police and interviews with Angel Sarvarin's friends.