Chase Childers, a former professional baseball player and father of three, died Sunday while trying to rescue swimmers caught in a rip current off Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Childers, who was briefly signed by the Baltimore Orioles and later served as a police officer, entered the water to help four or five struggling swimmers.

His body was recovered after a multi-agency search, CBS News has reported.

Local officials expressed condolences and pledged to improve beach safety through public education on rip currents, which are a leading hazard in the region.

Written by B.C. Begley