A Galesburg man who lost his life in the process of saving his son’s life has been awarded the Carnegie Hero Award.
25-year-old Malik Williams died in June of 2017 in Moline, when his 6-year old son fell in the Mississippi River fishing.
Williams didn’t know how to swim but jumped in to pull his son out anyway and quickly disappeared under the water, never to be seen alive again.
The purpose of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission is to recognize heroic acts and also to provide financial assistance to individuals and their dependants, who either were disabled or killed in the act of saving another life.
Williams was survived by two sons, Jaden whose life he saved and Joziah.
Also being given a Carnegie Hero Award is Van Thang, a 17-year old United Township student at the time, that was driving by and saw Malik struggling to pull Jaden out.
Thang was able to grab Jaden.
Williams body was found three days later.
Only a little over 10,000 have been awarded since the Carnegie Hero Award was created in 1904.
