Before you go to the beach to combat the summer sun continuously beating down on us, you may want to read this news story and save a life in the process.
At a Florida beach, a father perished trying to save his six-year-old daughter who had been caught into the ocean by a strong tide.
According to a report by The Washington Post, William Moritz dove into the water to rescue her but got caught in the rip current.
The family had been planning to hold a memorial service for William’s father on the beach, but it was canceled after he drowned.
“Bill was the most kindhearted, selfless person I knew,” the girl’s mother, Magan Sanny, said in a statement to WJAX-TV.
“There was never a time he didn’t put others before himself. Anyone could depend on Bill for anything in the world. He was the kind of person people were so grateful to have in their life and I was so lucky to have him in mine.”
“It was really strong,” said William’s sister Geneva Moritz to The Washington Post. “He was trying to swim back to shore, but the waves just kept pulling him in, pulling him in.”
Both father and daughter were rushed to the hospital, but William didn’t make it; the doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Keeping children safe at the beach
A day at the beach is something children and adults both enjoy, but if you’re bringing children to the beach, parents must understand these things:
- Know your swimming limitations. If you think the water might be too rough for you, chances are you’re right.
- Always investigate the place you’re entering first. Ask locals, scope out potential problems and stay out if you’re unsure.
- Talk to the lifeguards before you go in. When it comes to the ocean, they know more than you might ever know.
- Recognize when someone is in trouble. Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.
- Assign a guardian when you are away. A mistake that many people (especially those in groups) make is assuming someone else is watching the kids.
READ: A giant wave sweeps off toddler into the sea in Spain
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