A Vermont man drowned Wednesday as he attempted to swim across a river with his daughter on his back, officials said.
The Vermont State Police said troopers responded to a report of a drowning man in the Mad River, at the popular Big Rock Swimming Hole at Kenneth Ward Park in Moretown, at around 5:25 p.m. Wednesday.
Witnesses told responding troopers that the man was trying to swim across the river with his daughter on his back when he started to struggle. He went under the water and did not resurface.
Bystanders had the water and safely rescued the girl, but could not locate the man. Troopers went into the water and one of them located him.
They brought him to shore but despite attempting life-saving measures, troopers were unable to resuscitate 34-year-old Anthony Goddard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
State police said detectives from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations were dispatched to the scene, but preliminary investigation indicated no signs of foul play.
Goddard's body was sent to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington to determine the cause and manner of death.
