Coles County Man Dies Due to Drowning While Attempting Rescue

(LEFT TO RIGHT: CARLOS SERAFIN-AVALOS, MA'LIYAH WHITE, BILL CROY AND BAILEY CROY)

A man died Saturday in Coles County due to drowning while trying to rescue a girl who had fallen through the ice on a pond. 

Coles County Coroner Ed Schniers identified the drowning victim as 31-year-old Carlos Serafin-Avalos. The girl is 10-year-old Ma'Liyah White. Both lived at the scene of the incident with Serafin-Avalos' husband, Bill Croy, and eight-year-old Bailey Croy. A family member said the girls are the grandchildren of Bill Croy and he has custody of the girls. 

Reports at the scene indicated that dogs went onto the ice and the girl attempted to retrieve the dogs, then fell through the ice. Serafin-Avalos attempted to rescue the girl and he also fell through the ice.

The Coles-Moultrie PSAP received a 911 call at 7:44am Saturday of two people falling through the ice near 13961 East County Road 620 North, a rural area north of Charleston.

The Lincoln Fire Dive Team was dispatched along with the Lincoln Fire Protection District, Charleston Fire Department and the Coles County Sheriff's Department. A sheriff's deputy was first on the scene and Charleston Fire reached the scene at 7:53am. 

Crews from Charleston Fire Department entered the pond wearing protective cold water suits and began a search for the two. Charleston Fire rescued the girl at 8:06am. Serafin-Avalos was recovered from the water at 8:15am. First responders also rescued three dogs from the pond. 

Ma'Liyah White was airlifted from the scene to Carle Hospital in Urbana for treatment. 

Accounts to cover medical expenses are being established Tuesday at the Washington Savings Bank locations in Mattoon and Effingham.