A Pennsylvania couple tragically drowned in a rip current on a Florida beach on Thursday while on holiday with their six children.
The incident occurred at Hutchinson Island, a barrier island in Martin County on the Atlantic Coast, about an hour north of West Palm Beach. Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, were swimming with their children outside of a lifeguard-protected area, where red flags warned of dangerous conditions.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the couple and their children, most of whom are teenagers, were caught in a powerful rip current. “We had very strong surf, about 4-to-6-feet, maybe some waves a little larger, and very powerful rip currents,” Martin County Ocean Rescue Chief Ian Montgelas told weather.com on Friday. “The swimmers that had gotten in the water, they had jumped directly into a rip current and immediately got pulled out to sea.”
Lifeguards quickly noticed the perilous situation and were already driving down the beach to warn the couple when they saw Warter and Wishard struggling. Two of the teens were also swept up but managed to escape the current and attempted to help their parents. Lifeguards pulled Wishard from the water and then briefly searched for Warter, who had gone under. Despite CPR efforts by lifeguards and first responders, Warter and Wishard were pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The incident occurred as a low-pressure system off the Southeast coast, designated Invest 92L, churned up the sea and created high surf in some areas. “When that happens, water can ‘pile up’ along the coast. When too much water rises near the coast, it can rush back out to sea in a narrow channel,” weather.com senior meteorologist Dina Knightly explained. These channels, called rip currents, are hard to see and can sweep swimmers away from the beach.
At least 11 other people have died in rip currents on U.S. beaches so far this year, with summer just beginning, according to the National Weather Service. Last year, 91 people died from rip currents, making them second only to heat in terms of weather-related deaths.
“These are strong currents that not even an Olympic swimmer can overcome,” Knightly said. “If caught in a rip current, don’t fight it. Let it pull you away from the beach, and when the current lessens, swim parallel to the shore to escape it. Then you should be able to make it back to the beach safely.”
If you can’t swim parallel to the shore, Knightly advises staying calm until the current releases you and trying to signal for help. Other safety tips include checking NOAA’s surf zone forecast before going to the beach and knowing your own physical limits when swimming.
“But above all else, if you are going to go in, make sure you go to a lifeguarded beach,” Montgelas emphasized.
This tragic incident highlights the importance of beach safety
