It was the ultimate unselfish act.

Eddie Gerardo Cervantes Lora — after seeing a car veer off Airport Way into the San Joaquin River and starting to submerge under water — without hesitation ran to help.

He entered the fast moving river and was able to help bring a 5 year-old girl to safety.

When he went back to help pull the girls’ mother to land, the current proved too much.

As others helped the woman to safety, Cervantes Lora was swept away.

The mother later passed away.

The  California Emergency Medical Services Authority this month honored the heroism of the 41 year-old Manteca man who gave his life so a 5 year-old girl could live.

The award was accepted by his family that he left behind including his wife and three children, ages 17, 16 and 4.

In December, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office posthumously awarded the area's first civilian life-saving award to Cervantes Lora.

Cervantes Lora’s heroism occurred on Tuesday, Oct. 10, while he was on a lunch break from his job at a Manteca dairy.

The tragedy started unfolding,just before 1:30 p.m. when a woman driving a GMC vehicle heading east on Durham Ferry Road — which turns into Airport Way at the river — steered off the road for unknown reasons while approaching the river.

The vehicle went down the embankment, hit a tree, and ended up in the water.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com