hero: jose rosario, 47, was found dead on a puerto rico beach monday, two days after he was swept away by a wave while saving a boy from drowning  a retired nypd officer vacationing in puerto rico with his family this weekend was swept out to sea in front of his horrified wife and children after he heroically saved a 12 year old boy from drowning the body of jose 'joe' rosario, 47, washed ashore monday, two days after he jumped into the water off playa de jobos to save his son’s friend who was struggling to stay afloat in choppy waters rosario, a retired manhattan police detective, was able to pull the 12 year old to safety, but he proved no match for a powerful wave leisha chen, rosario's stepdaughter, said the boy urged his rescuer to grab onto him, but she said rosario was afraid the child would lose his grip and go under 'that's when another wave hit and my stepfather got pulled out further,' chen, a married mother of one, told the new york post rosario's teenage daughter, anais, detailed in a heart breaking facebook post how she, her brother and their mother helplessly looked on from the beach as the 47 year old father of three floundered in rough seas ‘my dad did everything he could and helped my brothers [sic] friend get out of the ocean but he couldn't get out himself,’ anais rosario wrote ‘the current took him away and after a while we couldn't see him anymore the coast guard and the cops have been looking for him since but he hasn't turned up family man: rosario's family, including (l to r) daughter anais, stepdaughter leisha chan, his young son and his wife, looked on in horror as the 20 year nypd veteran floundered in the surf  death in paradise: rosario jumped into the water off playa de jobos, where the family were vacationing, to rescue his son's friend  ‘i don't know what's going to happen and if he's still out there or not but no matter what he is a hero and always has been’ on monday, when mr rosario's lifeless body turned up on the beach in puerto rico, his devastated daughter paid tribute to her dad in another touching post 'rip dad, i will love you forever and you will always be in my heart and with me wherever i go i can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me,’ anais wrote, expressing hope that one day they will reunite in heaven saturday was not the first time that jose rosario, a 20 year veteran of the nypd, put himself in harm's way to save a child’s life several years ago, the retired detective had rescued his stepdaughter's young cousin who was drowning in a pool at a puerto rico resort, located about a mile from the spot where he died saturday new york's finest: rosario (pictured left and right with his daughter) retired from the force after serving as a detective for two decades  noble end: leisha chen, pictured here on her wedding day, detailed how her stepfather (far right) was able to pull the drowning boy to safety the child urged the father of three to grab onto him, but rosario was afraid the 12 year old would lose his grip  'that's who he was,' leisha chen told the new york post 'he would give his life to anybody' the washingtonville youth football and cheerleading league, where rosario volunteered as an equipment director, paid tribute to the brave ex cop monday ‘today the wizards family has lost one of our own,’ a statement from the youth league read ‘joe rosario, great father, great coach, a great man he has touched many of us through his passion and dedication to the boys and girls of youth sports he will always be in our memories our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the rosario family’
jose rosario 20 year puerto rico rosario last week 47 12 year old nypd
jose rosario, 47, was vacationing in puerto rico last week when his son's friend found himself in trouble while swimming in the ocean  rosario, 20 year nypd veteran, pulled the boy to safety but then a wave came and swept him away  ex cop's stepdaughter said the 12 year old urged rosario to grab his hand, but the father of three was afraid the child would lose his grip  rosario leaves behind a wife, daughter, son, stepdaughter and one grandchild 