A North Carolina community is mourning the loss of a firefighter who died while snorkeling on vacation in Turks and Caicos with his family.

Jaywon Lyons died earlier this month on a snorkeling excursion on the island shortly after taking a photo, his girlfriend, Sonya Moore, told The Greenville Daily Reflector.

“I rushed over and I literally couldn’t even stand while they were doing CPR,” Moore told the outlet. “I had my parents take my son and I just remained with him. We tried to get him stable. He was stable for a while.”

Authorities transported Lyons to a local hospital, and Moore tried to schedule an ICU flight back to the United States.

Edgecombe County remembered Lyons as one of the county’s first firefighters in a June 7 Facebook post.

Jay Lyons leaves behind two daughters, ages 3 and 1. (Edgecombe County)

“As one of Edgecombe County’s first firefighters, he served with courage, kindness, and a heart for others. His impact was felt far beyond our team, and all who knew him admired and loved him,” the county said. 

A GoFundMe for the firefighter titled “Continued help for Jaywon’s Family” says Lyons’ body was returned to North Carolina on June 23. 

Lyons leaves behind two daughters, ages 3 and 1.