Couple Drowns In Front Of 6 Children On FL Vacation

HUTCHISON ISLAND, FLORIDA — A couple on vacation with their six children in Florida drowned in a powerful rip current while swimming in the ocean on Thursday afternoon, officials said.

Brian Warter, 51, and Erica Wishard, 48, of Pennsylvania, were swimming with two of their teen children at Hutchison Island near Port. St. Lucie when the incident occurred.

The two teens were able to break free of the current and tried to help their parents, but it became too dangerous for them and they had to swim back to shore, the Martin County Sheriff's Office said.

Ocean rescue teams located the parents and brought them back to shore, where they began CPR.

"Those life-saving efforts continued in the ambulance and at the hospital where doctors gave it every last effort before declaring the couple deceased," the sheriff's office said.

The children were cared for by a Martin County Sheriff’s Crisis Intervention Team Deputy as they awaited the arrival of other family members in Florida.

Patch editor Justin Heinze contributed to this report.