The body of musician and former MMA fighter Jimmy Chaikong was found hours after his two young children were rescued from a Texas lake.
On Sunday, Aug. 24, officials recovered the 50-year-old’s body from Eagle Mountain Lake, the same area where he was last seen, according to CBS News and ABC affiliate WFAA. Authorities confirmed that an investigation is underway.
“He was fiercely determined, always consistent, always positive,” his friend Ryan Reynolds told CBS News. “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.”
Reynolds added that Chaikong’s greatest source of pride was his children, both under the age of 12. “Everything that he did revolved around them,” he said.
The tragedy began on Saturday, Aug. 23, when the Tarrant Regional Water District received a report at around 5 p.m. of two children screaming for help in the water, WFAA reported.
A boater nearby was able to pull the kids from the lake and call for assistance. When first responders arrived, they learned that the children had been on a small watercraft with their father. The search effort led to the discovery of an abandoned sailboat that evening, and Chaikong’s body was found the following day.
The Tarrant Regional Water District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Chaikong, who once competed professionally, fought his last MMA match in November 2010 against Mike Rio, according to ESPN. After stepping away from fighting, he devoted himself to family and music. He became the managing director of the Texas State Songwriters Championship and later founded his own entertainment company, as noted on his Facebook page.
Cynthia Anderson, a co-owner of the Texas State Songwriters Championship, told WFAA that Chaikong valued the simplest joys. “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.”
Uncle Ryano, a fellow musician and longtime friend, described Chaikong as both a “fighter” and a “dreamer,” but above all, a devoted father. “Those are babies and there’s nothing they could have done,” he said of Chaikong’s children. “Their dad was their hero.”
