Chester County couple drowns after being caught in rip current during Florida vacation

A Downingtown couple drowned Thursday while swimming with their children during a vacation in southeast Florida, where dangerous rip currents had formed off Hutchinson Island, officials said. authorities.

Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, were swimming with two of their six children around 1:30 p.m. when they became unable to return to shore due to rip currents, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said. The two children managed to escape the current and attempted to help their parents, but ultimately had to return to land to seek help.

Rescuers were able to locate the couple and bring them to shore in an attempt to save lives. They were taken to a hospital and were later pronounced dead, authorities said.

John Budensiek, chief deputy with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, told WPBF 25-News in Florida that several witnesses saw the couple “immediately pulled from shore” by the rip current after entering the ocean.

“One of the deceased’s children tried to shout instructions to them to swim parallel to the shore, but they were in panic mode and unfortunately sank,” Budensiek said.

Rip currents are fast-moving channels of water that flow away from shore, making it difficult for even expert swimmers to overcome their resistance, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They can occur anywhere, but often form nearby structures like piers, piers, and rocks that protrude out of the water.

Lifeguards advise people to try to stay calm and seek help from a lifeguard when caught in a rip current. Although powerful, the current is more likely to push swimmers away from shore than push them underwater.

Drownings often occur because people panic and become tired trying to swim against the tide. Moving parallel to the shore while calling for help can help a swimmer escape a particularly strong area of ​​rip current and get closer to shore. It is also advisable that only lifeguards attempt rescues in the face of rip currents, as many people drown while trying to save others.

Officials said red flags were placed on the beach Thursday to indicate dangerous surf conditions and the National Weather Service warned of high-risk rip currents along the coast. Hutchinson Island is on the southeast coast of Florida, about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach. Authorities said Warter and Wishard came from Pennsylvania with their six children, most of whom are teenagers.

“It’s a beautiful place, but they don’t realize how dangerous it can be,” Budensiek said. “The ocean is strong and final when it takes hold of you.”