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Chase Cooper, of Port Royal, wants his dad, Christopher, to be remembered as "a hero." Father and son were much more than that. They were best friends, pals and shared a real zest for life.
An enthusiasm that could not be diminished by 15-year-old Chase's autism. Chris couldn't wait until the weather broke this spring to boat on the Juniata River with his family.
"It was hard on him not being able to go out on the river during the winter months," wife Lynn said of her husband's love for life. "The water was where he felt most at peace and the month of March was particularly hard for him, as it represented the one year anniversary of his mother's passing (March 9). There was an urgency for him to get out there that weekend. He needed it!"
Daughter Lexi was actually really upset that she was not the one to go out for the boat's first trip of the season. The reason she was not on the boat was because she was performing in her first-ever play at Juniata High School.
Father and son couldn't wait; it was hard to tell which kid was more excited - the big kid or the actual one.
The two had planned to do just that on March 15 when the day turned tragic. A boating accident caused them to sink in the icy waters of the Juniata.
On the day of the accident, the Coopers were boating with two family friends. They made it to shore and were desperate to find Chris and Chase.
When father and son jumped in the water - abandoning the sinking boat - Chris told Chase that he loved him and that he had to swim really hard to get to the bank. Chris held Chase above the water, while Chase remembered his dad's head being under the water.
Once they were close to the river's edge, Chase felt his dad slowly let go and saw him floating away.
Dressed in layers, Chase struggled to swim to shore, while Chris used every ounce of his strength to push his son to safety.
Friends soon discovered Chase near the shoreline, holding onto some sticks in the water. Chris was nowhere to be found. He had succumbed to the freezing waters once he knew Chase would make it to safety.
"He gave all he could give to make sure Chase was safe," Lynn explained. Her husband was not a strong swimmer. Chase had an affinity for the water, but all of the layers of clothes he was wearing due to the colder temperatures weighed him down. Plus, the two were at the center of the river.
Every ounce of strength that eventually forced Chris to make the ultimate sacrifice, giving up his life to ensure Chase lived.
Imagine the thoughts that raced through the head of a teenager, knowing and understanding your father's sacrifice. Despite having autism, Chase fully understood the sacrifice.
"In his final moments, where it counted the most, my husband did exactly what any dad would do," Lynn said. "He saved his son."
Chris is survived by his wife of 17 years and his three children: Mason (18), Chase (15) and Lexi (12).
That's why Chris is Chase's hero - and always will be. The depth of a father's love for his son is endless. The unselfish sacrifices that can be made. The memories they share. And the actions that made him an eternal hero to his family and to all of who know his story.