Pennsylvania couple dies after being caught in rip current on Hutchinson Island

MARTIN COUNTY — A Pennsylvania couple vacationing on the beach at Hutchinson Island drowned Thursday after being caught in a rip current, local authorities said.

A mother and father who had traveled to Florida with their six children were caught in a rip current while swimming off Stuart Beach on Thursday afternoon, the County Sheriff’s Office said. Martin.

Martin County Fire Rescue crews were called at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for four missing swimmers, possibly battling a rip current, said Cory Pippin, a fire department spokesman. The location was in the Marriott Hutchinson Island Beach Resort, Golf & Marina area.

The man and woman were identified as Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, the sheriff’s office said. They left behind six siblings, most of them teenagers, according to the sheriff’s office.

The couple’s children and rescuers tried to save the couple and administered CPR on land and then in an ambulance that took them to Cleveland Clinic North Hospital in Stuart.

Two other swimmers initially involved in the incident swam to shore safely and were not injured, Pippin said.

Pippin noted there were red flag conditions on the beach, indicating rough waves with the potential for rip currents.

What were the conditions like at the beach?

A disturbance off the east coast is stirring waters on Florida’s east coast.

Coastal Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties are under a high-risk rip current advisory through Friday evening.

“Rip currents can carry even the best swimmers from shore to deeper waters,” the National Weather Service said. “Swim near a lifeguard. If you get caught in a rip current, relax and float. Do not swim against the current. If you can, swim in a direction that follows the shore. If you are unable do not escape, face the shore and call or signal for help.

What are rip currents?

Rip currents are powerful, concentrated channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, most often found in low spots or breaks in the sandbar and near structures such as piers and jetties.

Rip currents form when incoming waves create an underwater sandbar. Waves push more water between the sandbar and the shore until it collapses and the water returns to the sea through a narrow gap, where it begins to spread out. But they can be difficult to see when you’re in the water because the ocean above them may still be smooth.

Rip currents often form during or after stormy weather, but can form just as easily on bright, sunny days because the weather isn’t really the cause. Rip currents can be found on any beach with waves, at any time.

By far the most important thing to do is to stay calm and even try to relax. They can be scary, but rip currents will only pull you in, not drag you underwater. The biggest danger is getting tired.

• Don’t panic or struggle. Don’t bother trying to fight the current.

• You may be able to get out of the current by swimming with it parallel to the shore (or just floating or walking on the water) until it disappears or returns to the shore, then you can swim back to the beach.

• You can also try swimming with the current towards the breaking waves, where you may be able to swim back to shore.

• If you cannot reach shore, are pulled further out to sea, or are tired, draw attention to yourself by waving or shouting for help.

How many people die in rip currents?

Rip currents are common hazards on Florida beaches. Tens of thousands of people are rescued from rip currents in the United States each year and they account for 81.9% of all surf beach rescues, according to a 2018 Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences report on rip currents. data from rescuers.

The American Life Saving Association (USLA) estimates that more than 100 people drown each year in this country due to rip currents.

This article was originally published on Palm Beach Post: Two swimmers die after being pulled from ocean in Martin County