He may have died from a heart attack rather than by drowning. Michel Tamarati (born 1858), a Georgian Catholic priest and historian, died while trying to rescue a drowning man. It was a sunny nice day at the Panama beach Michel wanted to tack his family to go out for a swim and they did exactly that. They were having a great time together in till Michel heard a cry for help he saw a man drowning. Michel tried to go and save him but something was wrong with him, when Michel got the man to land he just felled over his family took him to a near by hospital and the doctor pronounced him dead. The doctor said he died by a heart attack the family was devastated but at least he died a hero to the man he saved.
www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n97-48913