Over €200k raised for polish man who died after rescuing the three children in the sea

A crowdfunding campaign launched for Polish man Marcin Kolczynski raised over 200 thousand euros by 3:15 p.m. on Friday. The 37-year-old drowned while rescuing three children in the sea at Julianadorp last Sunday.

He leaves behind a wife and three young children. The fundraiser is intended to help pay for Kolczynski's body to be taken back to Poland and for his funeral.

Kolczynski's wife, Monika, previously told Dutch media that she was on the phone with him just before he raced into the water. During the conversation he said, "Wait a minute, I see children in the sea. I think something is wrong." He then abruptly ended the phone call.

The next call she received was to say that he had died.

The fundraiser was launched by Martina Janasz from The Hague. "I was very moved by the story," the 22-year-old said to Editie NL. "Marcin has three children and a wife in Poland. He was a seasonal worker, so I thought his family is probably not well off."

She first hoped to raise a thousand euros, but that amount was quickly surpassed.