A Pennsylvania couple’s vacation in Florida turned to horror when they drowned in front of their six children after being caught in a rip current.
Brian Warter, 51, and his girlfriend Erica Wishart, 48, were on the beach behind the Marriott Hotel on Hutchinson Island, north of West Palm Beach, Thursday afternoon when tragedy struck.
It was the couple’s children, mostly teenagers, who called 911.
Two of the teens were also caught in the current but managed to reach shore.
They tried to help their parents, but could not reach them because they had become too dangerous.
Brian Warter, 51, and his girlfriend Erica Wishart, 48, were on the beach of Hutchinson Island, north of West Palm Beach, on Thursday afternoon when tragedy struck
“Multiple witnesses told our investigators that both the man and woman, who are now deceased, ended up in the ocean, straight into a rip current and were immediately pulled from shore,” said Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Bedensiek.
‘One of the deceased’s children tried to shout instructions to them on how to swim parallel to the shore but they panicked and unfortunately went down.’
Officials said the couple was unconscious when lifeguards pulled them from the water and began performing CPR.
They were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The sheriff’s crisis intervention team deputy assisted the couple’s children throughout the day and evening as they waited for other family members to arrive in Florida, the sheriff’s office said.
Budensiek added, “They are teenagers. They’re not even in their twenties yet. They experienced two dramatic scenarios.
‘They were on the beach and saw them drowning. They watched the resuscitation efforts on the beach.
Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, were on the beach behind the Marriott Hotel on Hutchinson Island, north of West Palm Beach, Thursday afternoon when tragedy struck
“They were in the hospital watching resuscitation efforts, so they’re extremely traumatized.”
A red flag on the beach Thursday indicated rough grass.
Warter’s parents Larry and Susie Warter told the story WPTV their world is turned upside down after the death of their son.
Warter and Wishart had started dating a year and a half ago and merged their families.
They went to Florida with Wishart’s four children and Warter’s two sons, ages 22 and 20.
DailyMail.com has contacted the sheriff’s office for more information on this story.
Rips are strong, narrow currents that flow roughly from the coastline through the surf out to sea.
According to the United States Life Saving Association, more than 100 deaths occur annually in the U.S. from rip currents, almost all of which are preventable.
This year alone, rip currents have killed 39 people, according to the National Weather Service.
Nearly half of those were in Florida.