Friends remember selflessness, faith of man who disappeared in river

Brian Bergkamp disappeared into the Arkansas River on Saturday morning while trying to save the life of another.

To some, that might seem a rare feat of heroism, but to those who knew the young seminarian, selflessness was just a part of who he was.

“It was in his heart,” said Jan Haberly, director of the Lord’s Diner, where Bergkamp was an intern for the summer. “That was him. He put others first, he truly, truly did.”

As of Sunday, crews were still looking for the young man in the swollen waters of the Arkansas River. Bergkamp, 24, had been kayaking with four friends, a man and three women, Saturday morning on the Arkansas River when they hit churning water under the 21st Street Bridge. Police say one of the women fell into the water, and Bergkamp left his kayak to help her. The woman was able to reach safety, but the currents were too strong for Bergkamp, and he was swept under.

Now, friends and family are gathering to grieve, pray and remember the man who they say always strove to imitate Christ.

Jimmy Schibi got to know Bergkamp during the time they spent together in seminary. He called Bergkamp a “man of great faith.”

“He was never about himself, always looking to do something for others, never thinking of himself,” Schibi said.

“He was a really an inspiration to us in the seminary and really a man that you want to model yourself after.”

Bergkamp, the son of Ned and Theresa Bergkamp, grew up in Garden Plain as one of seven children. He attended one year at Benedictine College before deciding to enter Conception College Seminary in Missouri and become a Catholic priest. He was in Wichita for the summer after completing his second year of a four-year program.

Father Mike Simone, vocations director for the Diocese of Wichita, has known Bergkamp since the young man first came to him six years ago expressing an interest in joining the priesthood.

“He is just an upstanding young man,” Simone said. “He’s a kind of quiet, behind-the-scenes type of guy, with a wonderful sense of humor, and always has a bright smile, as you can see in his picture on our website.”

Haberly worked side by side with Bergkamp at the Lord’s Diner. She said she couldn’t stress enough how special Bergkamp was. She recalled his intentionality, compassion and dedication to those around him.

“He asked a lot of questions, he did the job thoroughly, he thought things out, he saw the big picture, he wanted all of it to be the way it’s supposed to be,” she said.

“He cared. He totally cared about each little individual job he was doing.”

As search efforts continue, friends, family and fellow seminarians will gather to comfort one another and pray. The Catholic Diocese will hold a daily vigil at 7 p.m. in St. Anne’s Church, 2801 S. Seneca, until Bergkamp’s body is recovered.

Schibi said he will remember his friend for his devotion to his friends and his faith.

“He gave up his life to be a priest, but before he could do that, he gave up his life for another,” Schibi said. “Probably one of the most selfless individuals that I’d ever met.”

This story was originally published July 10, 2016 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Friends remember selflessness, faith of man who disappeared in river."