A Pennsylvania couple tragically drowned in an ocean rip current on Thursday, while vacationing with their six kids in Florida, according to local authorities.
Brian Warter, 51, and his girlfriend Erica Wishard, 48, both of Downingtown, were with their children on Hutchinson Island along Florida’s southeast coast when the incident occurred.
According to the local Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the family was swimming when two of their teenage children were swept into the current and the parents attempted to help.
The teenagers eventually managed to break free from the current but the parents remained stuck in the water, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
“The kids were able to break the current and attempted to help their parents, but it became too dangerous and they were forced to swim ashore,” investigators added.
Martin County Ocean Rescue responded promptly and attempted to perform life-saving measures before transporting them to the hospital. Despite their efforts, the two adults were later pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office confirmed.
On Thursday, prior to the incident, red flags at the beach signaled dangerous surf conditions, and the National Weather Service office in Melbourne warned of a “high risk” of rip currents along the coast.
“A lot of people are locals, they understand rip tides. They know what to do, what not to do,” Martin County Chief Deputy John Budensiek said in a statement to WPTV West Palm Beach. “We get these vacationers that come in and, unfortunately, this ends poorly for them. There’s no way to get the message out to all of them.”
With News Wire Services
