A Kentucky man who jumped into waters off the coast of Alabama to save his struggling daughter and her friend drowned Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

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Kevin Chitwood, 50, of Louisville, was taken by a rip current near Fort Morgan as his family vacationed in Alabama, WHAS reported.

A preliminary report from Baldwin County investigators said Chitwood was trying to rescue his daughter and her friend, who were in distress, when he was swept up around 7 p.m. Monday by the swiftly flowing water, AL.com reported.

He died around 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to the news site.

Friends and family members took to social media to mourn Chitwood.

A representative for the Louisville Turner Circus said Chitwood worked in a variety of roles for the circus.

“Our hearts are impossibly broken,” the circus said in a statement. “Kevin was a friend to all, and a hardworking member of our club. Whether he was backstage at the circus, filming a routine, lifting his daughter in the air, working the snack bar at the pool, managing the pool, painting the pool or any other of the tasks he took on – he had a smile on his face.”