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Maine Father Drowns Saving Two Children From Rip Current at Florida’s Juno Beach

Officials urge beachgoers to swim at lifeguarded areas after a week of high rip current risk.

Overview

  • Ryan Jennings, 46, died Wednesday after pulling his 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter from a rip current at Juno Beach, according to family accounts and local officials.
  • Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said lifeguards brought four people to shore around 3:30 p.m. Three people were taken to hospitals, the family was outside a guarded area, and an off-duty responder assisted.
  • Forecasters reported a high risk of rip currents along Florida’s east coast this week, driven by strong onshore winds and low tide, and this stretch near Juno Beach has seen more than a half dozen such deaths in two years.
  • An online fundraiser for Jennings’ pregnant wife and three children had raised more than $157,000 by Sunday night, as friends and neighbors rallied to help the family.
  • Jennings’ parents plan a yearly $5,000 scholarship for a Cumberland–North Yarmouth student who shows the selfless character their son was known for.