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The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission is honoring a Port Arthur man who died trying to save another man from drowning in 2021.

Rolando Caballero is one of 18 individuals being recognized for extraordinary acts of heroism.

His wife, Norma Diaz Minter, will be presented with the Carnegie Medal at a later date.

The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others, according to information from the organization.

Jewels Phraner, director of outreach and communications, said the medal will include Caballero’s name and details of his heroic actions and will take several months to be produced.

 

Hero’s actions

Norma Diaz Minter and Rolando Caballero went early July 21, 2021 to Keith Lake on Texas 87 between Port Arthur and Sabine Pass. Their “fishing buddy” at the lake that day, identified by police as Halil Cakmaktas, 70, of Beaumont, was quiet and very cordial, Minter said.

Caballero and his wife were crabbing on the shore when they heard Cakmaktas call for help. The Beaumont man had fallen into the fast-moving water off a small pier.

Caballero moved to the pier and tried tossing the rope to Cakmaktas but was unsuccessful.

“After several unsuccessful attempts, Caballero returned to his wife on shore and tied the rope around his waist. He waded about 10 feet into the water before swimming about 40 feet toward Cakmaktas,” according to information from the Carnagie organization.

Caballero was within an arm’s length of Cakmaktas when the other Cakmaktas submerged and could not be located.

Caballero shouted to his wife to pull him in but the rope had become untethered. Minter could see him and called out for him to lay on his back and try to float but the strength of the current pulled Caballero underwater.

Caballero’s body was recovered by firefighters about 30 minutes after he was submerged. He had drowned.

Cakmaktas’ body was recovered by police about an hour later. He too had drowned.

Phraner said the organization is honored to have Caballero in the Carnegie family.