(WJW) – A man was taken into police custody after investigators say he was caught trying to drown his children on a beach in Connecticut early Saturday morning.

A police officer was patrolling near Ocean Avenue and Dawson Avenue when he noticed an SUV on the beach just after 2:30 a.m. in West Haven, according to the police department.

As he walked closer, the officer reported hearing screams nearby. Investigators say the officer then noticed a man and two young children in the water.

According to West Haven police, as the officer stepped into the water, the man “continued to drift further away with the children all while screaming at the responding officer to ‘stay back.’”

Officers believed the man, later identified as 41-year-old Romney Desronvil of Queens, New York, was intentionally trying to drown the kids.

Other officers and firefighters with the West Shore Fire Department also got into the water to help. Investigators say the first officer on the scene was able to reach the children and Desronvil was arrested.

First responders performed life-saving measures on the children, who were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. In a social media post Saturday morning, West Haven police said both kids were still in the ICU.

During a press conference Saturday afternoon, according to reports from the New Haven Register, the children, both under 3 years old, were improving but still in critical condition.

Investigators say Desronvil remains in police custody at this time. As reported by the New Haven Register, officials say he is expected to face two counts of attempted murder and two counts of risk of injury.

“It is without a doubt the swift response by our patrol officers saved the lives of these children,” West Haven police said on Facebook. “The communication and collaborative efforts made by the West Shore Fire Department and eventually the New Haven Police Department allowed for immediate medical aid and also the apprehension of Desronvil.”

The case remains under investigation at this time.