'He gave his life to save his brothers:' 18-year-old drowned rescuing his younger brother
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Andre DeRouen a Galveston College baseball player is remembered as a hero by his family, friends and teammates.
Just two weeks before his 19th birthday, DeRouen rescued his younger brother from a pool, but unfortunately, DeRouen did not survive.
"He gave his life to save his brother's. And that speaks volumes of the type of person that he was. He was his brother's keeper, " said his mother Latashia DeRouen.
Andre was a good student and great athlete. His parents remembered him as remarkable person who died the way he lived - putting others first.
"He was the type of kid that any parent would be proud of," said his father Andre Sr. "He was very courageous. Didn't mind helping anyone. "
Andre's younger brother 15-year-old Desmond, did not want to speak on camera. It is clear he is quietly suffering. The family has support and the comfort knowing their child was loved and lived his life, however short, as an example to others.
Andre was a college baseball player. After graduating from Hitchcock High School in 2017, he was attending Galveston College.
Before practice today, the Galveston College Whitecaps sat together in their dugout. Their coach and campus counselors consoled them over the loss of their teammate.
"All the guys kinda gravitated towards him and enjoyed his company," said head coach Chris Joblin. "He was a great teammate."
The team put "AD" on their caps as a symbol that will remind them to work hard, play hard, be kind to others and honor a teenager who was always smiling.
"He made you better, not only as an athlete, but but as a person. If you didn't want to do something that day, he would always find the positive things about it," said teammate Kyle Wheeler. "We're all here, but we don't know when our time is going to end up. Just glad to know he went out a hero."
William Day told Eyewitness News that Andre was his first friend when he came to Galveston College. They practiced and hung out together a lot.
"You could see he loved every one of us and we all loved him," said Day. "We used to share a locker together. His name is just under mine. So walking in today and seeing that... it hurt. But I know he's up there, and he's looking down on me."
Andre had so many friends, so many loved ones, his family says that's a difficult part of planning his funeral, making sure everyone who wants to honor him has a chance to do so.
"He was a hero," said his mother. "He was a great person. He had a great soul."
