Authorities have reported that a couple from Pennsylvania tragically drowned in a rip current while vacationing in Florida with their six children.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Brian Warter and Erica Wishard, both aged 51 and 48 respectively, were enjoying a swim with their two teenage children on Hutchinson Island on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, they were caught in a rip current that swept them out to sea.
Related posts
According to the sheriff’s office, the parents of the teenagers were in danger and the teens attempted to rescue them. However, the situation quickly became unsafe and the teens were forced to swim to shore in order to escape.
The Sheriff’s office reported that Warter and Wishard were discovered by responders who immediately administered CPR on the shore. Despite their efforts, the couple was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
As the children wait for their family members to come meet them in Florida, the sheriff’s office has reported that their crisis intervention team deputy is providing them with necessary support.
Martin County Fire Rescue will assess the situation on Friday morning to determine whether or not the ocean will be accessible to the public.
Swimmers need to be aware of rip currents, strong narrow currents that flow away from the shore, which can pull them out to sea. These currents typically have a speed of 1 to 2 feet per second, but in some cases, they can travel as fast as 8 feet per second, exceeding the speed of an Olympic swimmer, as stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
If you want to learn more about escaping a rip current, click here.
This report was contributed to by Jessica Gorman from ABC News.
