A veteran officer with the Houston Police Department died in the line of duty after driving into high water.

Sargeant Steve Perez was reporting to work in the midst of unprecedented hurricane flooding on Sunday when his patrol car became trapped in high water, and he tragically drowned. According to CBS Dallas Fort Worth, Perez’s family had asked him to stay home on Sunday because of the dangerous weather conditions, but Sgt. Perez insisted.

“We’ve got work to do,” he reportedly told his family.

The Houston Police Department announced the tragic news on its Facebook page Tuesday. The post reads in part:

The death of Sergeant Perez reminds us of the dangers that police officers willingly face every day in order to serve this great City. We will go through this extremely difficult and trying time with heavy hearts sadly reminded of the ultimate sacrifice one of our own paid. Words cannot adequately express the sense of loss the Perez family and their extended Houston Police family are experiencing. Our hearts and prayers go out to Sergeant Perez’s family, his friends, neighbors and colleagues.

Sgt. Perez was a 34-year veteran of the police department, and would have turned 60 years old on Tuesday.

The fallen officer leaves behind a wife and two adult children.

Feature photo: Houston Police Department