Army veteran Joshua Curtis, 38, was with his family at the main beach when his son and niece got caught in a strong rip current, his family said.
Curtis successfully rescued the children; however, his family says he drowned.
His wife said he served in Iraq and Afghanistan for the 101st Airborne Infantry.
"He was a hero, he loved his son, he loved being a dad, he was a great husband," his wife Barbara Curtis said.
On Easter Sunday, police said a strong rip current took the life of a teen near that same beach.
According to the CDC, drowning death are highest during the summer months.
Approximately 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths occur annually in the United States with children ages one to four being particularly vulnerable, according to the CDC.