Brian Warter’s parents expressed their strong love for the couple. Larry Warter mentioned, “It was clear to anyone who spent time with them,” as he thought about the love that Brian and Erica shared. Susie Warter, Brian’s mother, also mentioned that everyone who knew them adored the couple, and there was great anticipation for their future.
A couple from Pennsylvania sadly died during their vacation in Florida with their six kids, when they got caught in a rip current.
Brian Warter, aged 51, and Erica Wishart, aged 48, were swimming with their two teenage children on Hutchinson Island on June 20 when things took a dangerous turn.
The teenagers managed to survive, but unfortunately, their parents couldn’t make it out of the turbulent ocean waters.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office issued a report about the tragic event. The teenagers tried bravely to rescue their parents, but the strong current proved too much. Emergency responders arrived promptly and began rescue operations. Sadly, Brian and Erica were declared dead at the hospital.
According to Cory Pippen, a representative from Martin County Fire Rescue, the water conditions on that Tuesday afternoon were extremely dangerous. Red flags were raised at the beach to warn swimmers about the hazardous riptide conditions. These flags are meant to notify beachgoers about potential dangers in the water, like strong rip currents.
Larry Warter, Brian’s dad, told CBS 12 News that his son and Erica had been dating for more than a year and were planning to get married. Erica had four kids, and Brian had two. They wanted to wait until all their children graduated from college before getting married. Their visit to Stuart, Florida, was an important moment for them.
Larry Warter shared his excitement, saying that they were extremely thrilled and couldn’t contain their excitement about going down. It was a special occasion as it was their first time and they were conducting an experiment. They had managed to gather all six of their children, and they had been eagerly planning this for more than a month.
The Warter family has been flooded with support from their community. Larry Warter expressed his surprise at the offers of help they have received. They initially believed they were facing this situation alone, but it turned out they weren’t.
Wayne Sallurday wrote a heartfelt message about Erica on a donation page. He described her as a wonderful person who was a caring mother to four children, including one who was adopted when he was young.
Erica taught special needs children at an elementary school, then worked in the school library. She also volunteered a lot at her local church. There’s so much more to say about her, but you probably already have a good idea. She was truly one of the kindest people you could ever come across.
The community’s generous response to the tragedy is evident as the GoFundMe page created in their memory has collected more than $60,000.
The National Weather Service provides important guidance on rip currents on its website. It highlights that although rip currents don’t drag swimmers underwater, they can tire them out rapidly. Remaining calm is extremely important.
The website suggests not to fight against a rip current as it will waste your energy needed to survive. Instead of swimming directly to the shore, swim parallel to the shoreline until you are out of the current. Once free, swim diagonally away from the current towards the shore. The service also advises against swimming alone and follows the motto, “If in doubt, don’t go out!”.
This tragic event is a clear reminder of the risks associated with rip currents and the need to pay attention to safety alerts when swimming.