Parents of 6 die in rip current while on first family vacation
A couple from Pennsylvania sadly perished in a rip current while on vacation in Florida with their six children.
On June 20, while swimming on Hutchinson Island with their two teenage children, Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishart, 48, encountered a dangerous situation.
According to Cory Pippen, a spokesperson of Martin County Fire Rescue, red flags were flying at the beach to alert swimmers to the potentially dangerous riptide conditions on Tuesday afternoon, as reported by Phillyburbs.com. These flags are meant to warn beachgoers of possible aquatic hazards, like powerful rip currents.
The father of Brian Warter, Larry Warter, revealed to CBS 12 News that his son and Erica had been dating for more than a year and were engaged to marry. Brian was a father of two, and Erica was a mother of four. The couple had intended to postpone getting married until after all of their kids had graduated from college. For them, their vacation to Stuart, Florida, was a critical turning point.
The couple’s parents expressed their sincere love for Brian Warter. Larry Warter observed, “If you were around them, it was obvious,” referring to Brian and Erica’s love. Brian’s mother, Susie Warter, continued by saying that everyone who knew the pair adored them and was very excited about their future together.
The community has shown the Warter family a great deal of support. We’ve received so many offers of assistance and other things. We didn’t realize we were experiencing this alone, said Larry Warter.
“Erica first taught special needs students in an elementary school before moving on to work in the school library. She volunteered a good deal of her time at her neighborhood church. We could go on forever, but at this point we believe you get the idea. She was among the kindest people you will ever meet.
Over $60,000 has been raised on the GoFundMe page created in their honor, demonstrating the community’s kind reaction to the tragedy.
You will simply expend more energy trying to swim against a rip current than you would to survive and get out of it. Avoid attempting to swim straight up to the coast. Swim parallel to the coast until you are no longer pulled by the current. The website suggests swimming toward shore at an angle after you are free of the current’s pull. The agency also advises following the maxim “If in doubt, don’t go out!” and never swimming alone.
This tragic event is a clear reminder of the risks associated with rip currents and the significance of paying attention to safety advisories when swimming.
