2 Chester County parents drown after getting caught in rip current in Florida, officials say
STUART, Fla. (CBS) — Two parents from Chester County drowned after being caught in a rip current at Stuart Beach in Martin County, Florida, Thursday afternoon, according to the Martin County Sherriff's Office.
The Martin County Sheriff's Office confirmed Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, died after being pulled from the surf at Stuart Beach.
Warter, Wishard and at least two of their six children were swimming in the ocean when they all got swept out by a rip current. Authorities in Martin County said the two teenage children tried to save their parents but the current was too strong so they were forced to swim to shore.
Martin County Ocean Rescue performed CPR on the couple ashore, authorities said. The rescue efforts continued at the hospital where the couple died, according to Martin County police.
The six children received support from the Martin County Sheriff's Crisis Intervention Team Thursday as they waited for the arrival of other family members to Florida.
"They are teenagers. They're not even in their 20s yet. They've been through two dramatic scenarios," Chief Deputy John Budensiek told CBS 12, an affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. "They're on the beach and watched them drown. They watched the resuscitation efforts on the beach. They were at the hospital watching some resuscitation efforts, so they're extremely traumatized."