Husband and wife from Monrovia drown while boating at Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU, Ariz. (KABC) -- A couple from Monrovia drowned Friday afternoon while they were out boating on Lake Havasu, authorities said.

Authorities said Esmeralda Gonzalez, 41, and her husband Raul Gonzalez, 44, were on a boat with another man and two children. The boat was floating in an area just west of Crazy Horse Cove.

Esmeralda jumped from the boat to go for a swim and was not wearing a life vest. She then began to panic in the water and Raul jumped in to rescue her. He also was not wearing a life vest, authorities said.

Both of them were seen struggling in the water before they went under and did not resurface. Two off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were able to pull Esmeralda out of the water around 3:25 p.m.

She was brought to the Crazy Horse Docks, but was unconscious and not breathing. The deputies performed CPR on Esmeralda until paramedics arrived. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Raul was still missing and authorities conducted a search. His body was found around 3:45 p.m. about 12 feet deep at the bottom of the lake, authorities said. He was taken to the docks and pronounced dead.

The couple had been married for two years and had a 6-month-old daughter named Lulu, according to a GoFundMe account. Raul was also a leukemia survivor and was in charge of blood drives at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Family members said they're devastated, but are trying to be strong for the couple's children. Raul had children from a previous marriage and was also a grandfather.

One of his sons, Raul Gonzalez Jr., said his father and stepmother were kind people.

"He went through leukemia and he beat it. He went through two heart attacks - he beat it. His whole life was just to help other people so he went out the way he would have wanted to go out - saving somebody else," he said.

Raul's other son, Daniel Gonzalez, echoed those sentiments.

"Esmeralda and my father were both giving people. I would bring new friends over, you know new family members as far as different sides of the family, and they were always loving. They'd meet you on the first day and welcome you in as family," he said.

Authorities believe alcohol may have been a factor in the drowning. Autopsy reports were pending.

The investigation was ongoing.

If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe account, you may go to gofundme.com/raul-and-esmeraldas-services. Family members also said Raul would have wanted those who could help to donate blood to CHLA.