A Tennessee family is mourning the loss of Fred Pepperman, who died earlier this month saving three of his four daughters from a rip tide at the beaches in Walton County, Florida. The beaches, near Panama City, were where Pepperman and his wife Julie celebrated their honeymoon almost 30 years ago. The couple would have celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary on Friday.
On Friday, July 15, Julie took to Facebook, where she confirmed her husband died on July 14 at around 12:30 p.m. He helped save daughters Grace, Olivia and Kathryn from a riptide. Julie said she “probably would have been lost” too if it were not for her husband’s action.
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“He was amazing, selfless, tireless, and committed to making sure we were all out of the water,” Julie wrote. “Once we were safe, he was simply too exhausted to worry about himself. His body was worn out. Fred lived his life being kind to everyone and sharing his big heart. I was blessed that God placed him in my life at 16 and allowed me to have him for 32 years.”
She later continued, “You did good, Freddie. Our girls are safe. You saved your family. You are a good man, through and through. We love you and our hearts are breaking! Thank you to my sisters, my brothers-in-law, and my parents for all your help in the water and since we lost Fred.”
“He did everything a dad is supposed to do,” Julie told WTSP.
On the same day Pepperman saved his daughters, the South Walton Fire District posted a photo of two red flags, warning against swimming as Tropical Storm Barry moved close to Louisiana. Beach safety director David Vaughan confirmed to WTSP a 53-year-old man went into the waters, despite the warnings, to save his daughters.
Julie told WTSP the family thought the “water was fine” until they noticed their 16-year-old daughter was far out and “you could see something was wrong.” Two other daughters tried to help, and all six family members were in the water at one point. Julie’s brother-in-law also brought a board to help Pepperman’s daughters.
Three witnesses tried to revive Pepperman with CPR, but it was too late.
“Without him, three of mine definitely would be gone. It doesn’t seem real,” Julie said.
The couple have known each other since she was 16 and they have four daughters. They are originally from New Orleans and visit Florida frequently.
“I just want people to know a lot of dads say they would do it, and he did it, so that’s a dad,” Julie said.
Pepperman was born in New Orleans and the family moved to Maryville, Tennessee in 2003. He started Appalachian Fire Alarm Solutions, LLC with a business partner. The funeral was held at St. Francis of Assisi in Townsend, Tennessee.
Photo credit: Facebook/Julie Pepperman
