Dylan Roberts was only 20 years old and newly married when he jumped into the Atlantic Ocean at Holden Beach to help his father. Daniel Jason Roberts, 46, was struggling against a strong rip current on Sunday morning. Dylan ran into the water after him without hesitation, but neither man made it back to shore alive.
The emergency call came in around 9:43 a.m. near the 1100 block of Ocean Boulevard West. First responders pulled both men out of the ocean and began advanced life support right on the sand. Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics worked on them, but both father and son were pronounced dead at the scene.
Just months before the drowning, Dylan married his longtime girlfriend, Maggie Day. His mother, Jessica Cutshaw Roberts, shared on Facebook that the couple surprised everyone by turning what was supposed to be a wedding shower into their actual wedding ceremony. In an emotional online post after the accident, Maggie called Dylan the purest love she had ever known, writing that he always knew how to comfort her.
Back home in Blowing Rock, Dylan worked at the Town Tavern, where he was a big part of the daily routine. The restaurant temporarily closed its doors so staff could process the loss. Management posted that Dylan was much more than just an employee, praising the energy, warmth, and positive spirit he brought to work every single day.
Family friends launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist the family with funeral costs and financial burdens. The fundraiser noted that both Dylan and his father served as the main financial providers for their household. It described Dylan’s final act as one of extraordinary bravery and love as he stepped up in his father’s moment of greatest need.
Weather conditions along the coast created hazardous swimming risks all morning. Strong winds out of the southwest whipped up choppy water and generated dangerous rip currents across the area. Holden Beach Police Chief Steven Barger offered his condolences to the family, while town officials urged beachgoers to stay out of the water due to high current risks expected to last through the week.
Holden Beach Mayor Alan Holden acknowledged that the tragedy hit the local community hard, noting that residents felt connected to the family during their visits to the area. Both men lived in Lenoir, leaving two North Carolina communities mourning the sudden loss of a father and son who meant so much to the people around them.
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