A New York firefighter drowned at a Jersey Shore beach after jumping in the water to save his teenage daughter who got caught up in the waves, officials said.
The 39-year-old man went into the water at Sylvania Avenue beach in Avon-by-the-Sea around 8:30 a.m. Friday, according to police. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the 15-year-old girl to need her father's help, but it led to a frantic rescue effort near a jetty sticking into the water.
He was later identified as FDNY firefighter Mark Batista, from Teaneck, New Jersey, according to NBC News.
Witnesses on the beach called police, and a water rescue team arrived shortly after. About 10 minutes later, the rescue team pulled the girl from the water — but the father had not yet been found, police said.
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It was around 10 a.m. that the father was found in the water about 50 feet from the shoreline. He was rushed to land where first responders performed life-saving efforts and he was then rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he died, according to police.
The daughter was also taken to the hospital, where she is expected to recover.
Lifeguards at the beach were not on duty at the time, and are not scheduled to be in place on weekdays until June 17.
News
In a statement, FDNY spokesperson Jim Long said the department was "heartbroken" to learn of Batista's death, NBC News reported.
“Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent 15 years serving in the FDNY, as both an EMT and a firefighter," Long said. "We join his family in mourning his tragic passing.”
