In the state of Florida, tragedy struck as three individuals lost their lives in a riptide, occurring merely one day after a couple on vacation drowned on the southeast coast of the state.
According to an updated Facebook post from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Harold Denzel Hunter (25), Jemonda Ray (24), and Marius Richardson (24) tragically lost their lives in a Florida riptide on Friday. The group of friends, hailing from Alabama, had arrived in the Panama City Beach area on Friday evening and had just checked into their rental home. After going for a swim, the three young men encountered distress and were unable to survive the powerful rip current.
According to the post, the three men got caught in a rip current shortly after they entered the water.
Officials stated that a call reporting distressed swimmers was received by the sheriff’s office a little after 8 pm. Rescue operations were immediately initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities. The swimmers were located separately and were later declared deceased upon receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, according to authorities.
This week, the beach had single red flags posted, warning visitors of hazardous surf and rip current conditions. Tragically, a Pennsylvania couple and their six children visiting Florida drowned on Thursday after being caught in a rip current while swimming.
According to a Facebook post from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Brian Warter (51) and Erica Wishard (48), along with their mostly teenage children, were swept up in a current on Hutchinson Island, located on Florida’s southeast coast. The post indicated that although the two children managed to break free from the current and attempted to assist their parents, they were eventually forced to swim to shore due to the treacherous conditions.
The sheriff’s office reported that despite Martin County Ocean Rescue’s attempts to revive the couple, they were unable to do so. Tragically, the couple was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the children tried to assist their parents in breaking the current but had to abandon their efforts as it became too perilous. The victims were found by Martin County Ocean Rescue who commenced CPR on the shore. Despite their best efforts, the couple was declared dead by doctors at the hospital after continuing life-saving attempts in the ambulance.
According to the police report, while waiting for additional family members to arrive in Florida, the Martin County Sheriff’s Crisis Intervention Team Deputy provided assistance to the children of the couple both during the day and night.
A riptide current is a swift-moving water column that flows away from the shore and towards the open sea. In case of getting trapped in it, officials advise swimmers to remain calm and swim parallel to the coast to escape the current. On Thursday, Fire Rescue personnel reported the presence of red flags indicating dangerous surf conditions at the beach.