A Firefighter Drowns After Rushing into the Sea to Save His Daughter
The day began with a dip into the cool Atlantic waters along the New Jersey shore near Avon-by-the-Sea.
Mark Batista, a father of three and a veteran member of the New York Fire Department, brought his family to the beach on Friday morning, when the salty ocean air fell just shy of 70 degrees. Soon after, his daughter made a beeline toward the waves, splashing as she waded deeper into the dark blue.
Suddenly, a deadly rip current emerged. The narrow, fast-moving stream swept her farther and farther away from the shore.
Mr. Batista rushed in to rescue her, friends and authorities said. But the ocean, in all its cruelty, pulled him under.
Source: The New York Times
