[imagesource:wildfirecrossfit]

A beloved CrossFit coach from Phoenix is now being honoured as a hero after he died saving his wife from drowning.

The couple were on a family trip at the beginning of March to scatter his grandfather’s ashes in the ocean in Puerto Rico, when suddenly, a rip current swept away Walker’s wife and other family members.

“Damian jumped in, as he 100% lived his life with that hero mentality: ‘I’m just gonna go in and save them,’” Tiffany Divelbiss, co-owner of Wildfire CrossFit, where Walker worked, said per PEOPLE.

Walker signed up as a member when the gym opened 10 years ago and quickly turned into one of the more hard-working and sought-after coaches, who “lived life to the fullest” according to Tiffany.

Walker’s father also attempted to rescue him, but both drowned. Walker’s wife, Salmeh, survived, per the Sacramento Bee.

Apparently, Walker’s grandfather, whose ashes they were scattering, died on the same day a year prior. It is wild to think that all three generations of Walker men died on the same day, a year apart.

The body of Walker’s father has still not been recovered.

PRELIMINAR – Las autoridades se encuentran en estos momentos buscando a una persona que fue arrastrada por la corriente en la playa Caracoles en Arecibo. La OMME de dicho municipio, personal del NMEAD, FURA de @PRPDNoticias y la Guardia Costera en el lugar (1/2) pic.twitter.com/NM03YWUavP

— Manejo de Emergencias (@NMEADpr) March 3, 2023

According to those close to Walker, the 33-year-old trainer “gave the ultimate sacrifice”:

“He would be proud of the way things happened. He always wanted to be a superhero, and in the end, that’s the way it ended up,” Wildfire co-owner Skip Divelbiss told KPHO.

Image: GoFundMe

“To have him and that personality ripped away, there’s been a huge hole in everybody’s hearts,” added Divelbiss.

Damien is being honoured as a hero who would save everyone if he could:

To further honour Walker, Wildfire CrossFit created a “hero workout” with all of his favourite moves.

The gym also set up a GoFundMe page to help Walker’s family with funeral expenses. It has already apparently raised more than $28 000.

[source:people]