A sad event happened in Florida recently. Brian Warter, who was 51 years old, and Erica Wishart, who was 48, were on vacation there with their six children. They were swimming with two of their teenagers at Hutchinson Island on June 20th when something dangerous happened.
There was a strong current in the ocean, and Brian and Erica got caught in it. Even though their teenage children tried to save them, the current was too powerful. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office shared that the teenagers did everything they could to help their parents. Rescuers came quickly to try to save Brian and Erica, but despite efforts, they couldn’t be saved.
It’s a heartbreaking story of a family vacation turning into a tragedy.
Phillyburbs.com said the water was really dangerous that Tuesday afternoon. Martin County Fire Rescue representative Cory Pippen explained that red flags were up at the beach. These flags warn swimmers about strong rip currents in the water. Rip currents can be very dangerous because they pull swimmers away from the shore.
Larry Warter, who is Brian’s father, spoke to CBS 12 News. He shared that Brian and Erica had been together for more than a year and were going to get married. Erica had four children, and Brian had two. They wanted to wait until all their kids finished college before getting married. Their trip to Stuart, Florida, was a big deal for them.
“They were so excited about going down there,” Larry Warter said. “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.”
Brian Warter’s parents have shared how much they loved the couple. Larry Warter said, “You could tell just by being around them.” He talked about the strong love between Brian and Erica. Susie Warter, Brian’s mother, added that everyone who knew them loved them too, and everyone was excited about their future together.
The Warter family has been supported a lot by their community. Larry Warter said, “We’ve been amazed by all the help and support. We thought we were dealing with this alone, but we haven’t been.”
On a fundraising page, Wayne Sallurday wrote a beautiful tribute to Erica. He said, “Erica was an amazing person. She was a loving mother to two sons and two daughters, with her youngest son adopted when he was young.” The post also said Erica worked at an elementary school helping special needs children and later worked in the school library. She also spent a lot of time helping at her church. “We could keep talking about her, but you probably understand now. She was one of the nicest people you could ever meet.”
The GoFundMe page set up to remember them has raised over $60,000. This shows how generous the community has been in response to this sad event.
The National Weather Service has important advice on its website about rip currents. It explains that rip currents don’t pull swimmers underwater, but they can tire swimmers out quickly. It’s really important to stay calm.
The website says, “If you try to swim against a rip current, you’ll waste your energy. You need that energy to stay safe and get out of the rip current. Don’t try to swim straight to the shore. Instead, swim parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current’s pull. Once you’re free, swim towards the shore at an angle away from the current.”
The National Weather Service also suggests never swimming alone and following the rule, “If you’re not sure, don’t go in!”
This sad event reminds us how dangerous rip currents can be. It’s crucial to listen to safety advice when swimming.
15 Times People Got the Best When They Least Expected It
Sometimes life spoils us with a fantastic gift without giving us any hints beforehand. Some people think these unexpected events are just lucky coincidences, while others believe that the universe has waited for the right time to reward us for a good deed we’ve done in the past. Either way, it is always a blessing to get a pleasant surprise to brighten an ordinary day and add sparkles of wonder to our eyes.
Bright Side believes that days can be so exciting because a life-changing event can happen at any moment. Here are some unbelievably cool situations that were caught on camera.
1. ’’I met Jim Carrey! I never thought he’d be cool with making faces with me, but he was totally down.’’
2. ’’The hairiest, most goofy-looking llama I saw in all of Peru’’
3. ’’I did an art exchange. I made some paper art and he made me a puppet of myself! Best deal ever.’’
4. ’’My son smiled sweetly at the barista and got this hot chocolate in return.’’
5. ’’My brother drove 9 hours overnight to surprise my mom with her niece.’’
6. ’’My new security camera surprised me with a beautiful photo of a flying bird.’’
7. ’’I was looking in my mom’s college yearbook and came across a familiar face.’’
8. ’’I sent my girlfriend a postcard a few months ago. Today, she gave me a new pair of shoes.’’
9. ’’My father found my baby blanket and gave it to me for Christmas.’’
10. ’’25 years later I discovered I’m in the Notre Dame Hall of Fame because I photobombed the photo.’’
11. ’’I got lucky to get this crazy long mutant Dorito.’’
12. ’’Do you know the feeling you get when the middle seat is open next to you on a flight? I can beat that.’’
13. ’’I found this while cleaning out my grandma’s house.’’
14. ’’So I came across this guy at my sister’s graduation: Professor Sir Patrick Stewart.’’
15. ’’Since I was a kid, my mom collected everything she found in my pocket and put it in this lamp. It was her surprise for my wedding.’’
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