Father of 3 drowns saving children from rip current on Florida vacation

U.S. newsFather of 3 drowns saving his children from rip current on Florida vacation Ryan Jennings was out swimming in Juno Beach with his 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter when they were caught in a rip current. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 6, 2026, 1:49 PM EDTBy Doha MadaniA father of three died last week saving two of his children from a rip current while vacationing in Florida, family and friends said. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Ryan Jennings and his family, from Maine, were out swimming in Juno Beach on Wednesday when he, his 12-year-old son and his 9-year-old daughter were caught in a rip current, according to Bangor Daily News. His wife, Emily Jennings, told the newspaper that he threw their son toward the shore and held their daughter above his head as they swam. "He made sure they made it out alive,” she said. “He truly was our hero.” She also told the outlet that the couple had found out she was pregnant with their fourth child just before they flew to Florida.Ryan Jennings.via FacebookPalm Beach County Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue confirmed that its lifeguards had a water rescue at 3:25 p.m. near Juno Beach on Wednesday, but could not confirm names due to medical privacy laws. Four people swimming in an unguarded area were brought to shore and transported to a local hospital. Conditions that day were "consistent with the potential for rip current activity."A rip current is a narrow channel of fast-moving water and is different than a rip tide, which is specific to water moving through inlets and the mouths of estuaries, embayments, and harbors, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. An estimated 100 people die in rip currents annually, the agency said. "This incident underscores the importance of swimming at guarded beaches, where trained lifeguards can identify hazardous conditions, including rough...