It doesn't come as a surprise to his family members that 17-year-old Jeremy Kitzmiller died while trying to save the life of his drowning father.
David Kitzmiller, 47, of West Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, drowned Saturday afternoon while his wife and children were vacationing in Hawaii. His son, Jeremy, drowned while trying to rescue the father, who was pulled down by a large wave.
"That was his character," said Ervin K. Kitzmiller, Jeremy's grandfather. "It would have been no other way. If his father was having trouble, he was nearby. I'm not surprised that Jeremy would have tried to help."
The father and son — who shared an interest in computers — were nearly inseparable, added his grandmother, Mary Kitzmiller.
"One would've been lost without the other," she said Monday afternoon.
The family, which includes wife, Linda, and 13-year-old Brittany, left Pennsylvania for the island of Kauai on Dec. 18. Ervin Kitzmiller said it was the family's third vacation to Hawaii, but their first visit to the Pahio Resort on Kauai. They were regular travelers who liked to take vacations when the children were off from school.
Ervin Kitzmiller said he was told that the wave appeared "out of the blue." The family was on the beach, playing and splashing in the water Saturday when the wave rolled in, said Ervin Kitzmiller's daughter-in law, Linda.
Kauai rescue personnel said the father and son continued swimming in rough waters while Linda Kitzmiller and Brittany got out because of the strong current, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported. The waves were 5 to 7 feet high, they said.
Linda pleaded with the two to get out of the water as well, a firefighter told the newspaper. Rescuers found Jeremy floating on the surface, then found his father in 10 to 12 feet of water, a firefighter said.
David Kitzmiller was pronounced dead at the scene. Jeremy was taken to a local hospital where he died, Ervin Kitzmiller said.
The family had scheduled to leave Hawaii on Sunday. Instead, Linda Kitzmiller and her daughter have stayed, waiting to accompany the two bodies home. Linda Kitzmiller's sister and brother-in-law immediately flew to the island to help and comfort them.
No date for the funerals has been decided. The Richard L. Shoemaker Funeral Home in Blairsville will be handling the arrangements.
Ervin and Mary Kitzmiller sat in their living room yesterday surrounded by photos of their four sons, nine grandchildren and other family members. They wrapped their fingers around tissues as they wiped away tears.
Out their large front window, just across the road, sits the house where their son and family had lived. They helped him build the house decades ago. The house on Clark Road was a far commute to David Kitzmiller's job at PNC headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh, but he loved the work, and he loved being close to his family. Linda Kitzmiller is a teacher in the Blairsville-Saltsburg School District.
David Kitzmiller worked in the technology processing department at PNC for four years. He has previously worked at Westinghouse, his father said.
"Everyone in his department was pretty upset about the news. He was a very dedicated employee who was very well-liked by his co-workers," said Patrick McMahon, a PNC spokesman. "Our sympathies go out to the family."
Family members said Jeremy also was well-liked and had many friends. Ervin Kitzmiller said with pride that his grandson was one of the top students in his 11th-grade class and a possible contender for valedictorian.
Jeremy designed the Web site for Brush Valley United Methodist Church in Homer City, where his parents and sister were all active members.
"He had quite a way with computers. You could tell Dave was very proud of Jeremy," said the Rev. John Logan, the church pastor. "They were a really close family — always traveling and camping. Dave always had a smile. He was kind of quiet, but he'd surprise you with his dry humor. They will both be greatly missed."
