A 34-year-old Vermont man died while swimming in a river with his young daughter on Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
State police said they responded at 5:25 p.m. Wednesday to the Big Rock Swimming Hole on Route 100B in Moretown for a report of a drowning man.
Witnesses at the scene said the man, later identified as Anthony Goddard, of Barre, was attempting to swim across the Mad River with his daughter on his back when he began to struggle. He ultimately went under the water and did not resurface.
Several bystanders entered the water and were able to rescue the child, but they could not find Goddard.
State police troopers arrived at the scene minutes later and entered the water in an attempt to rescue Goddard. They found him quickly and were able to bring him to shore. Troopers administered life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
State police detectives were dispatched the scene to conduct a death investigation. Their preliminary investigation determined that there is no indication of foul play.
Goddard's body was taken to the state medical examiner's office in Burlington, where an autopsy will be conducted in order to determine the cause and manner of his death.
