Dunwoody father remembered as a hero as rescuing 3 in Florida riptide
DUNWOODY, Ga. - A Dunwoody father is being remembered as a hero after he saved three people from a riptide in Florida on April 8.
Deputies in Florida said they responded to multiple rescues last week.
Kim McGrady, 55, was on vacation with his family when he heard people screaming from the water at Miramar Beach.
FOX 5 talked to the President of Murphey Candler Baseball who knew McGrady well.
"Just about everyone will tell you he is the nicest person you ever met at Murphey Candler," said Shawn Keefe.
From his big heart to his big smile, everyone who knew McGrady will tell you, he's hard to forget.
"Always had a huge smile on his face. Always was the first one to go up and pat a kid on the back and tell him he's done a great job, and that's just the kind of person Kim was," said Keefe.
The game of baseball is what connected Keefe to McGrady. The two met nearly 10 years ago through Murphey Candler Baseball.
"It doesn't surprise any of us that he passed away helping others, and there were lives saved because of Kim," said Keefe.
On April 8, tragedy struck the Florida panhandle. According to deputies in Florida, dozens of people had to be rescued from rough waters. A memorial page for McGrady said he was one of the first people to jump into action. As McGrady went to save three people, he also got caught in the rip ride.
"He's a friend to a lot of us out here and you know, hearing what happened and how it happened, it's very tragic," said Keefe.
Tributes and memories are now pouring in for McGrady and his family. A GoFundMe has raised thousands of dollars for his family. According to those who knew him and even those who didn't, he left this world a hero.
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