NEED TO KNOW
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On Aug. 24, a man’s body was found a day after his two young children were rescued from a Texas lake
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The two kids, both under 12, were heard screaming for help
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The man was a musician and former MMA fighter, who loved his children fiercely
The body of a musician and former MMA fighter was found hours after his two young children were rescued from a Texas lake.
On Sunday, Aug. 24, officials recovered a man’s body — later identified as 50-year-old Jimmy Chaikong — from Eagle Mountain Lake, the same area where he was last seen, CBS News and ABC affiliate WFAA reported. An investigation is ongoing.
“He was fiercely determined, always consistent, always positive,” his friend Ryan Reynolds told CBS News. “I’m so completely honored that he was my friend and that I got to be his and that I got to have him for a tiny, littler flicker in our lives.”
He added that the musician’s main source of pride was his children, who are both under 12 years old.
“Everything that he did revolved around them,” Reynolds told the outlet.
Jim Chaikong/Facebook
Jimmy Chaikong
On Saturday, Aug. 23, the Tarrant Regional Water District received a report at 5 p.m. local time of two kids screaming for help in the water, according to WFAA.
A person on a nearby boat was able to save the children and call for assistance.
When first responders arrived, they learned that the kids had been on a small watercraft with their dad. An extensive search began, which resulted in the discovery of an abandoned sailboat, WFAA reported. Chaikong’s body was found the next day.
The Tarrant Regional Water District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
One of Chaikong’s last fights was in November 2010, when he faced off against Mike Rio, according to ESPN. After Chaikong’s MMA career ended, he focused on his family and music. He went on to become the managing director of the Texas State Songwriters Championship as well as the founder of his own eponymous entertainment company, according to his Facebook page.
“He appreciated the genuine friends,” Cynthia Anderson, a co-owner of the association, told WFAA. “He appreciated the simple things. Like, you know, being able to make his kids laugh every day. That was his biggest accomplishment.”
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Jim Chaikong/Facebook
Jimmy Chaikong
Uncle Ryano, who is a friend from the music industry, told the outlet that Chaikong was a “fighter” and a “dreamer.” But he was a dad, first and foremost.
“Those are babies and there’s nothing they could have done,” Uncle Ryano told WFAA of Chaikong’s kids. “Their dad was their hero.”
Read the original article on People
