THE body of a former MMA fighter has been pulled from a lake in Texas.
Authorities rushed to Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth over the weekend.
Officials received calls of two children screaming for help in the water on Saturday afternoon.
The kids were on a small boat and were rescued by somebody else nearby.
Their father Jimmy Chaikong, 50, was also reportedly on the boat with them.
And his body was found the next day after an exhaustive search effort.
An investigation is ongoing, according to Tarrant Regional Water District.
Tributes came in for the former MMA fighter after the sad news.
One friend told CBS News, “He was fiercely determined, always consistent, always positive.
“I’m so completely honored that he was my friend and that I got to be his and that I got to have him for a tiny, littler flicker in our lives.”
Another tribute read, “Those are babies and there’s nothing they could have done.
“Their dad was their hero.”
While a third said, “He appreciated the genuine friends.
“He appreciated the simple things.
“Like, you know, being able to make his kids laugh every day.
“That was his biggest accomplishment.”
According to CBS News, both the children are under the age of 12.
After his MMA career, Chaikong turned to music.
He founded an entertainment company called Texas State Songwriters Championship.
Chaikong had a profile on ESPN’s website for his MMA career.
He fought Mike Rio in November 2010, where he was beaten by submission.
The event was part of G-Force Fights, Bad Blood 4.
