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- Couple drowns in rip current while on vacation with their kids (newsbreak.com)
Authorities have reported a tragic incident where a couple from Pennsylvania drowned in Florida while on vacation with their six children. The victims, identified as 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Erica Wishard, encountered a deadly rip current while swimming at Hutchinson Island last Thursday afternoon. The rip current also caught two of their teenage children, who managed to survive by swimming to shore, despite their attempts to save their parents.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office stated that emergency responders attempted lifesaving CPR on Warter and Wishard at the scene, but sadly, both were later pronounced dead at the hospital. A photograph released by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office captures the efforts of the rescue crews at the site of the drowning on June 20, 2024.
In the wake of this heart-wrenching event, the Sheriff’s Office has offered its crisis intervention team deputy to support the children, who are now waiting for other relatives to join them in Florida. Due to the incident, Martin County Fire Rescue officials are planning to assess ocean conditions the following morning to decide whether it will be safe for public access.
Rip currents pose a significant risk to swimmers, moving quickly out to sea and capable of catching swimmers off guard. These currents can reach speeds of up to 8 feet per second, outpacing even the fastest Olympic swimmers, as explained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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- Couple drowns in rip current while on vacation with their kids (newsbreak.com)