A Bristol man drowned trying to save his 5-year-old grandson off Spar Island in Mount Hope Bay Sunday.

The Bristol Police Department was notified of a male who went missing around 3:28 p.m.

Members of Bristol, Tiverton and Portsmouth fire departments, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, Bristol Harbormaster's Office, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, conducted a search of the area.

Christopher J. Kupec, 52, of Bristol, was recovered by Tiverton rescue workers, who also performed CPR on him.

The 5-year-old and a dog were transported back to the Mt. Hope boat ramp, where the boy was then taken to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment.

According to DEM law enforcement, the boy was playing in the water with a life jacket on. As the boy drifted farther out from shore, the Bristol man went into the water to retrieve him. The boy was recovered, but the man disappeared.

"It is believed that he either suffered a medical emergency upon bringing the boy back, and then, or was swept out to sea," said Gail Mastrati, public information officer for the DEM.