FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (WPIX) — A New Jersey father died after rescuing his children from a river Wednesday, police said.

The incident happened at the Millstone River around 2:15 p.m., according to the Franklin Township Police Department.

Three children — ages 13, 11, and 8 — went into the water and quickly became distressed, witnesses told police.

The children’s father, a 42-year-old South River man, went into the river and brought his kids to the shallow water, police said. But the father “struggled to maintain his balance” and disappeared in the water, according to police.

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office dive team found the man’s body around 5:30 p.m., authorities said. The victim’s identity hasn’t been released.

The three children received medical attention at the scene and were released, authorities said.

The Franklin Township Police Department is investigating the incident.

Earlier this year, an FDNY firefighter drowned while trying to pull his daughter from the ocean. Mark Batista and his family were visiting Jersey Shore when he noticed the teenager struggling to swim. A rescue team quickly arrived and pulled her from the waters while Batista was found submerged a short time later.