While on their first family vacation, the parents of six perish in a rip current.

While on vacation in Florida with their six children, a couple from Pennsylvania sadly perished after becoming entangled in a rip current.

On June 20, Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishart, 48, were swimming on Hutchinson Island with two of their teenage children when things became dangerous.

Their parents were unable to flee the choppy ocean waters, but the teenagers made it out alive.

The terrifying event was described in a statement issued by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Despite their heroic efforts to save their parents, the teenagers were ultimately unable to fight the strong current, according to the announcement. Rescue operations were started, and emergency personnel were sent out right away. Regretfully, medical personnel declared Brian and Erica dead even though they had been sent to a nearby hospital.

According to Martin County Fire Rescue spokesperson Cory Pippen, the water conditions that Tuesday afternoon were infamously severe, with red flags flying at the beach to warn swimmers of the deadly riptide conditions, according to Phillyburbs.com. The purpose of these flags is to warn beachgoers about possible hazards in the water, like powerful rip currents.

Brian’s father, Larry Warter, told CBS 12 News that his son and Erica had been dating for more than a year and were engaged. Brian was the father of two children, while Erica was the mother of four. Prior to getting married, the couple had intended to wait until all of their kids had graduated from college. For them, their journey to Stuart, Florida, marked a major turning point.

Larry Warter recalled, “They were so excited that they couldn’t see straight about going down.” This was the initial instance. The experiment was this. Together, they had all six of their children. It had taken them more than a month to plan.

The parents of Brian Warter expressed how much they loved the couple. Larry Warter remarked, “It was obvious if you were around them,” in reference to Brian and Erica’s love. According to Brian’s mother, Susie Warter, everyone who knew the couple liked them, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for their future together.

The community’s support for the Warter family has been overwhelming. We’ve been inundated with offers of assistance and other things. We believed we were alone in this, but Larry Warter revealed that we are not.

Wayne Sallurday paid a heartfelt homage to Erica on a fundraising page. “Erica was just a wonderful individual. The article stated, “She was a devoted mother of two sons and two daughters; her youngest son was adopted at an early age.”

“Erica taught special needs students at an elementary school before moving on to work in her school library.” She volunteered at her local church for a considerable amount of time. We could go on forever, but we believe you have the idea by now. She was among the kindest people you will ever meet.

Over $60,000 has been raised via the GoFundMe page created in their honor, demonstrating the community’s kind reaction to the tragedy.

On its website, the National Weather Service provides important information about rip currents. It highlights that rip currents can swiftly fatigue swimmers but do not drag them underneath. It’s important to remain composed.

The energy you need to survive and get out of the rip current will be depleted if you try to swim against it. Avoid swimming straight into the shore. To get away from the current’s draw, swim along the beach. The website suggests swimming at an angle away from the water and toward shore after you are not being pulled by it. Additionally, the service 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 rip currents bring and how crucial it is to follow safety instructions when swimming.