"This is a heartbreaking loss for our department," Chief Jonathan Best said in a statement. "Officer Marsh had a bright future ahead of him and had already made a positive impact on those who had the privilege of serving alongside him. His willingness to serve others and the enthusiasm he brought to this profession will not be forgotten."

Sheryl Padgett, the mother of Marsh's fiancée, told KHBS-TV that her daughter was caught up in a current while trying to get back to a kayak. Marsh tried to help her, but the current swept him under. 

Padgett said the Marsh and her daughter had been together for three years. They had become engaged earlier that morning.

"My precious Son in Law thank you for loving my daughter and us like your own!" Padgett wrote in a comment on the police department's Facebook page. "We will always love you Fred!"

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise money for Marsh's fiancee.