Current:Home > MyPennsylvania couple drowns in Florida rip current while on vacation with their 6 children -FutureWise Finance
Pennsylvania couple drowns in Florida rip current while on vacation with their 6 children
View
Date:2025-04-16 20:02:40
HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — A Pennsylvania couple vacationing in Florida with their six children drowned after they were caught in a rip current while swimming, authorities said.
Brian Warter, 51, and 48-year-old Erica Wishard, and two of their mostly teenage children were caught in the current on Hutchinson Island, along Florida’s southeast coast, the Martin County 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 said.
Martin County Ocean Rescue attempted life-saving measures and took the couple to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
A crisis intervention deputy is assisting the children while other family members travel to meet them in Florida. The sheriff’s office did not say where in Pennsylvania the family was from.
A rip current is a fast-moving column of water that flows away from the shore toward open water. Officials say swimmers caught in one should remain calm and then swim parallel to the shore to escape the current.
Fire Rescue officials said there were red flags at the beach Thursday, indicating the possibility of hazardous surf conditions. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne warned on its website Friday of a “high risk” of rip currents all along the Atlantic coast, partly because of higher ocean swells caused by a low-pressure system near the Florida-Georgia state line, said meteorologist Megan Tollefsen.
“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 told WPTV. “They know where to get in the ocean and where not to. 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.”
Hutchinson Island is about 55 miles (88 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach.
veryGood! (3887)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- This doctor is an expert in treating osteogenesis imperfecta. She also has it herself.
- Here's how much you have to make to afford a starter home in the U.S.
- Easter is March 31 this year. Here’s why many Christians will wake up before sunrise to celebrate
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Network political contributors have a long history. But are they more trouble than they’re worth?
- Opening day 2024: What to watch for on the first full day of the MLB season
- Women's college basketball coaches in the Sweet 16 who have earned tournament bonuses
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Former gym teacher at Christian school charged with carjacking, robbery in Grindr crimes
Ranking
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Jon Scheyer's Duke team must get down in the muck to stand a chance vs. Houston
- House Oversight chairman invites Biden to testify as GOP impeachment inquiry stalls
- YMcoin Exchange Obtains U.S. MSB License
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- This doctor is an expert in treating osteogenesis imperfecta. She also has it herself.
- Man who escaped Hawaii jail and was struck by a vehicle dies from his injuries
- Lawsuit accuses George Floyd scholarship of discriminating against non-Black students
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner to be auctioned off, estimated to sell for $400,000
CLFCOIN Crossing over, next industry leader
NOAA warns boaters to steer clear of 11 shipwrecks, including WWII minesweeper, in marine sanctuary east of Boston
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
4 prison guards in custody for allegedly helping 5 escape county jail
A mostly male board will decide whether a Nebraska lawmaker faces censure for sexual harassment
Texas appeals court overturns voter fraud conviction for woman on probation