A Pennsylvania couple’s vacation in Florida ended in tragedy when they were caught in a deadly rip current, leaving their six children without parents.
Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishart, 48, were swimming with two of their teenage children on Hutchinson Island on June 20 when disaster struck. While the teenagers managed to survive, Brian and Erica were tragically pulled under by the strong ocean currents.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office shared details of the harrowing incident. They explained that the teenagers tried their best to save their parents but were ultimately overpowered by the powerful rip current.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, and despite their efforts to save the couple, both Brian and Erica were pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to Phillyburbs.com, the water conditions were extremely dangerous that Tuesday afternoon. Red flags were flying at the beach to warn swimmers about the hazardous rip currents, as noted by Cory Pippen from Martin County Fire Rescue. These flags are crucial in alerting beachgoers to the potential dangers in the water.
Brian’s father, Larry Warter, told CBS 12 News about the couple’s relationship. They had been together for over a year and were engaged to be married. Erica was a mother of four, and Brian had two children. They planned to marry after all their children had finished college. Their trip to Stuart, Florida, was a big deal for them.
“They were so thrilled, they couldn’t see straight about going down,” Larry Warter recalled. “This was the first time. This was the experiment. They had all six of their kids together. They had been planning it for over a month.”
Larry and Susie Warter, Brian’s parents, spoke warmly about the couple. Larry mentioned, “It was obvious if you were around them,” reflecting on the love Brian and Erica shared. Susie added that everyone who knew them loved them and was excited about their future together.
The Warter family has been touched by the outpouring of support from their community. “We’ve been overwhelmed by offers of help and everything else. We thought we were going through this alone and it hasn’t been,” Larry Warter shared.
Wayne Sallurday wrote a heartfelt tribute to Erica on a fundraising page. “Erica was simply an amazing person. She was a loving mother of two sons and two daughters; with her youngest son being adopted at a young age,” the post read.
“Erica worked at an elementary school teaching special needs children and later worked in her school library. She spent a significant amount of time helping at her local church. We could go on and on, but we think you get the picture by now. She was one of the nicest human beings you could ever meet.”
The GoFundMe page set up in their memory has raised over $60,000, showing the community’s generosity and support during this difficult time.
The National Weather Service provides essential advice on its website about rip currents. They stress that while rip currents don’t pull swimmers underwater, they can quickly exhaust them. It’s crucial to stay calm.
“Trying to swim against a rip current will only use up your energy; energy you need to survive and escape the rip current.
Do NOT try to swim directly into the shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current’s pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore,” the website advises. They also recommend never swimming alone and following the motto, “If in doubt, don’t go out!”
This heartbreaking incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of rip currents and the importance of paying attention to safety warnings while swimming.
