Tragedy at Florida Beach as Parents of Six Enter Water During Red Flag Warning - Kids Could Only Watch as It Happened
Two people are dead after failing to heed a red flag warning and entering the water at a Florida beach.
Compounding the tragedy, the two victims, 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Erica Wishard, were vacationing at the Hutchinson Island beach with their six children when the disaster occurred, according to WPBF-TV.
The Pennsylvania couple entered the surf with two of their teenage children, and the four were caught and carried away by a rip current.
A post on the Martin County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page said the teens were able to make it back on land but were unable to assist their mother and father.
“The kids were able to break the current and attempted to help their parents,” the MCSO wrote in its post, “but it became too dangerous and they were forced to swim ashore. Martin County Ocean Rescue located the victims and began CPR on shore.
“Those life-saving efforts continued in the ambulance and at the hospital where doctors gave it every last effort before declaring the couple deceased.”
The deaths occurred while a desperate scene played out at the beach.
“One of the children of the deceased tried to yell to them instructions on how to swim parallel to the shore, but they were in panic mode and unfortunately went under,” MCSO Chief Deputy John Budensiek told WPBF.
A team from the sheriff’s department stayed with the kids until more family members arrived in the state.
According to WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach, the tragedy unfolded while the beach was under a red flag warning, an alert posted due to dangerous conditions.
The Florida warning flag system is encoded in law, requiring beaches to use flags to broadcast conditions and dangers at the shore.
Green and yellow flags signal low and medium hazards, according to the Florida Coastal Management Program. A red flag warns of high danger, while a double red flag signals the water is completely closed.
Purple flags are also flown when there is a high chance of encountering dangerous marine life.
Rip currents typically exist as a powerful flow of water leading from near the shore out past the surf zone to open ocean. Even the strongest swimmers can fall victim to this deadly beach feature.
So sad to hear that two people died this afternoon after getting caught in a rip current off Stuart Beach. 💔
Red flags are flying due to the rough surf and high risk of rip currents. Not ideal beach conditions will continue along the Atlantic beaches over the next few days. pic.twitter.com/uUkV8VPzpe
— Lauren Kreidler (@WeatherWithLaur) June 20, 2024
According to a government fact sheet, the currents can extend hundreds of feet beyond the breaking waves.
The National Weather Service has recorded 11 deaths due to riptides so far this year. That number does not include the victims at Hutchinson Island.
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