A Jamaican man is being hailed as a good Samaritan after he attempted to rescue a man and a toddler from drowning at the Apollo Beach in Florida on Friday  (June 11).

Reports are that at around 7:00 p.m.,  27-year-old Kristoff Murray, originally from the parish of St Mary in Jamaica, sprung into action as he observed the father and son pair being swept away by a current in the water.

Murray’s girlfriend, who was present during the incident, placed a call to police to seek assistance, to which several agencies – including the Coast Guard, Tampa police, and HCFR – responded.

The emergency teams arrived promptly launched searches both by air and sea.

At around 9:00 p.m. search and rescue teams recovered the body of an unidentified adult male and, shortly after, that of a small child.

The duo was transported to a nearby hospital where both were eventually pronounced dead.

Search and rescue teams continue the search for Murray, who is believed to have also been caught by the water current.