Parents Of 6 Kids Drown In Rip Current During Florida Vacation

A Pennsylvania couple drowned this week after getting caught in a rip current while on vacation in Florida with their six kids.

Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, were swimming at a beach on Hutchinson Island on Thursday when the parents and two of their teenage kids got caught in the deadly rip current, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The teenagers attempted to save their parents, “but it became too dangerous and they were forced to swim ashore,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Rip currents are localized currents that flow away from the shoreline and out toward the ocean, typically moving at speeds of 1 to 2 feet per second but sometimes more, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

After finding Warter and Wishard, Martin County Ocean Rescue performed CPR on the couple onshore. The two were then taken a hospital where they were pronounced dead.

A neighbor of Warter’s told Philadelphia outlet WPVI that she was “at a loss for words” following the tragedy.

“He was a wonderful neighbor,” Lauren Aldridge said. “We helped him out with his dogs. He helped us out with our dogs, with gardening advice, and taking care of the yard. Very nice guy.”

If trapped in a rip current, the NOAA advises people to stay calm, float, call for help, and swim parallel to the shore.