PA couple vacationing with their children drown on Florida beach

Pennsylvania couple drown in rip current on Florida beach while on vacation with their 6 children

Updated: 9:35 AM EDT Jun 21, 2024

CHANCES COMING UP. TODD THANK YOU CHRIS. NOW TO A STORY. WE FIRST BROUGHT YOU AS BREAKING NEWS EARLIER TODAY, THE MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE JUST PUBLICLY IDENTIFIED TWO PEOPLE WHO DROWNED IN THE OCEAN JUST SOUTH OF STUART BEACH, 51 YEAR OLD BRIAN WARNER AND 48 YEAR OLD ERIC WISHARD WERE VISITING FROM PENNSYLVANIA. TREASURE COAST BUREAU REPORTER ARI HIDE EXPLAINS WHAT INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE IS TO BLAME FOR THEIR DEATHS AND HAS IMPORTANT ADVICE ON HOW YOU CAN STAY SAFE WHILE AT THE BEACH. MOST BEACHES IN SOUTH FLORIDA HAVE SIGNS LIKE THIS ONE, IDENTIFYING WHAT THE WARNING FLAGS MEAN HERE AT STUART BEACH ON THURSDAY, THEY WERE FLYING ONE SINGLE RED FLAG, MEANING HIGH HAZARD, HIGH SURF AND OR STRONG CURRENTS. AND INVESTIGATORS SAY THOSE STRONG CURRENTS ARE TO BLAME FOR THE DEATH OF TWO PEOPLE HERE. ON THURSDAY. AND IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. BUT THEY DON’T REALIZE HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE. THE OCEAN IS STRONG AND FINAL WHEN IT GETS A HOLD OF YOU, AND INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED THURSDAY AFTERNOON, JUST SOUTH OF STUART BEACH. A MAN IN HIS 50S WAS WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND, A WOMAN IN HER 40S, EACH OF THEM WITH THEIR THREE KIDS OUT FOR A DAY AT THE BEACH. AROUND 130. THE ADULTS DECIDED TO GO FOR A SWIM, AND THEY STEPPED RIGHT INTO A RIPTIDE. ACCORDING TO OUR WITNESSES, AND IMMEDIATELY WERE TAKEN OVER BY THE POWER OF THE OCEAN. THE NEAREST LIFEGUARD TOWER WAS ABOUT 400 YARDS AWAY. THEY IMMEDIATELY RAN TO HELP OUR LIFEGUARDS WERE ABLE TO GET IN, FIND THE TWO VICTIMS APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 125 YARDS OFF THE BEACH, MORE THAN 100 YARDS OFFSHORE. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THAT’S HOW STRONG THE RIP CURRENT WAS. LIFEGUARDS BEGAN CPR AS THE VICTIMS WERE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY DIED. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE COUPLE WAS VISITING FROM PENNSYLVANIA, NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW TO RESPOND TO RIP CURRENTS. NUMBER ONE IS STAY CALM. TRY AND SIGNAL THE LIFEGUARDS IF YOU CAN, AND THEN DON’T FIGHT. DON’T FIGHT THE CURRENT BECAUSE IT’S A PRETTY STRONG FORCE. INSTEAD, JUST LET THE CURRENT TAKE YOU OUT UNTIL YOU’RE ABLE TO SWIM PARALLEL TO THE SHORE, AWAY FROM THE CURRENT, AND THEN BACK TO SHORE. KNOW THE OCEAN, KNOW HOW TO SWIM. IF YOU’RE A WEAK SWIMMER, DON’T GET IN THE OCEAN. IT’S JUST NOT WORTH THE RISK. MARTIN COUNTY FIRE RESCUE SAYS AT THIS POINT, THEY’RE PLANNING ON FLYING THAT ONE RED FLAG AGAIN ON FRIDAY. BUT SAY DEPENDING ON CONDITIONS, THEY COULD ADD A SECOND RED FLAG, MEANING THE WATER WOULD BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. THEY SAY THEY’LL MAKE THE FINAL CALL AROUND 10 A.M. FRIDAY AT STUART BEACH, ARI HAIT. WPBF 25 NEWS. IF YOU PLAN ON HEADING TO THE BEACH TOMORROW, BE AWARE OF RIP CURRENTS AND ROUGH SURF. MARTIN INDIAN RIVER IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY BEACHES ARE ALL FLYING RED FLAGS RIGHT NOW, AND THOSE FLAGS PLAN TO STAY UP TOMORROW. THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD AVOID GOING IN THE WATER, BUT IF YOU DO USE EXTREME CAUTION. PALM BEACH COUNTY BEACHES HAVE YELLOW FLAGS FLYING RIGHT NOW, BUT OF COURSE THAT CAN CHANGE AT ANY MOMENT, SO MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE CONDITIONS. READ THE BIG BOARD AS YOU ENTER

Pennsylvania couple drown in rip current on Florida beach while on vacation with their 6 children

Updated: 9:35 AM EDT Jun 21, 2024

A couple from Pennsylvania are dead after drowning while on vacation with their children in Pennsylvania.According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Eric Wishard were on vacation with their six children in the Sunshine state when tragedy struck.Warter and Wishard were swimming on Hutchinson Island Thursday afternoon when they got caught in a rip current. Officials say the couple and two teens were swept up in the water. The teenagers were able to break out of the current and tried to help their parents, however officials say it was too dangerous .The pair were forced to swim to shore while their parents were later found by Martin County Ocean Rescue. Deputies say rescuers attempted CPR and were taken to a hospital where they would later be pronounced dead.Martin County Sheriff’s Officials say a crisis intervention deputy was on hand to help the mostly teenage children while they wait for family to arrive in Florida.

HUTCHINSON ISLAND —

A couple from Pennsylvania are dead after drowning while on vacation with their children in Pennsylvania.

According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, 51-year-old Brian Warter and 48-year-old Eric Wishard were on vacation with their six children in the Sunshine state when tragedy struck.

Warter and Wishard were swimming on Hutchinson Island Thursday afternoon when they got caught in a rip current. Officials say the couple and two teens were swept up in the water.

The teenagers were able to break out of the current and tried to help their parents, however officials say it was too dangerous .

The pair were forced to swim to shore while their parents were later found by Martin County Ocean Rescue.

Deputies say rescuers attempted CPR and were taken to a hospital where they would later be pronounced dead.

Martin County Sheriff’s Officials say a crisis intervention deputy was on hand to help the mostly teenage children while they wait for family to arrive in Florida.