The community is rallying around the family of an Arimo teen who is being called a hero after he tragically drowned in the Portneuf River while rescuing his girlfriend on Saturday morning.

Arimo City Councilman Shane Call is hoping to honor Marcos Gil, 17, by naming a ball field at Arimo Park after him during a barbecue and baseball fundraiser set to take place at the park on May 11. He is still trying to secure permission to do so.

In the meantime, community members are contributing in other ways to help Gil’s family. As of 8:25 p.m. on Monday, 126 people had given a combined $5,450 to a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $15,000 for funeral expenses.

The mother of the girl who Gil saved stated on the GoFundMe site that Marcos "jumped" into the river "to save his drowning girlfriend, my daughter. During this courageous and amazing act of selflessness, he was able to get underneath her and push her up toward the surface. My daughter was saved but tragically, Marcos was pulled under by the strong current and did not survive."

The girl's mother told the Journal that Gil "was a true hero."

The incident occurred in a portion of the river behind a Thai restaurant in Lava Hot Springs.

The couple decided to get into the river near a waterfall in the area. The 14-year-old girl jumped in first, but she got caught in a current and soon started struggling in the water.

“My head kept getting pushed underwater I was scared for my life,” the girl said in a statement submitted to the Journal.

She said she screamed for help before she was pushed under the water again. Marcos jumped in to save her, she said.

“He was trying to swim to me but he was getting pushed under as well. I couldn't see him the next couple of times but I felt him under me trying to push me up,” the girl said in the statement. “I was able to swim to the rocks. I looked back and I saw his head come up three more times... and that was it. I started screaming his name trying to find him but he was no where to be seen.”

The girl climbed the rocks to get to her phone and called 911.

Bannock County sheriff's deputies along with Bannock County Search and Rescue personnel responded to the scene. The Bingham County Sheriff's Office scuba dive team later responded as well. 

Bannock County sheriff's officials said it took about three hours to locate and remove Gil's body from the river.

They said the Portneuf River is fast-flowing, deep and dangerous right now because of the spring snowmelt and people should definitely not swim or go on the river until it returns to its normal level and flow.  

On Monday, Call said he wasn’t surprised by Gil’s last action: jumping into the river to save his girlfriend’s life.

“That’s just Marcos,” Call said. “He was a hero, not only in this event but in everything he did.”

Call said he got to know Gil through a church program for young men.

He describes the teen as friendly and loved by everybody who knew him. He was also happy, Call said, adding that he can’t recall ever seeing Gil without a smile on his face.

Gil was also eager to serve. Call said the teen was always the first person to get behind a service project in their church program.

Gil was also athletic and enjoyed a variety of sports, especially baseball, Call said.

That’s why he and others have organized a barbecue dinner and baseball game at Arimo Park at 5 p.m. on May 11 to help raise money for Gil’s funeral expenses.

“It’s really fitting for him (because he) was into that so much,” Call said.

The hamburger and hot dog dinner will cost $5 per person or $20 per family. People can also participate in a baseball game for $5 per person.

For more information, people can contact Call at 208-760-0726 or Kevin Nielsen at 208-251-1997.

Those who want to help Gil’s family can also donate funds through the GoFundMe site, https://www.gofundme.com/dsj3ga-funeral-expenses?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=campaign_link_t&utm_campaign=welcome.