"Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent fifteen years serving in the FDNY, as both an EMT and a firefighter. We join his family in mourning his tragic passing," FDNY said in a statement.
A New York City firefighter has died trying to rescue his daughter from a dangerous rip current at the Jersey Shore, according to reports.
Mark Batista, 39, died at Avon-by-the-Sea on Friday morning while he off-duty after jumping into the ocean to save his teenage daughter, who was caught in a rip current at the time, CBS News reported.
A rip current is a channel of moving water, somewhat like a river, that forms in the ocean and flows away from the shoreline and out to sea, CBS News said.
Batista, who lived in New Jersey, was a 15 year veteran of the FDNY, according to reports.
Police initially didn’t release his last name following his death, but the FDNY announced the news Sunday that one of their own had perished while being a hero.
"We are heartbroken to learn about the death of Firefighter Mark Batista, who died Friday while swimming at the Jersey Shore," the FDNY said in the statement. "Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent fifteen years serving in the FDNY, as both an EMT and a firefighter. We join his family in mourning his tragic passing."
The incident occurred Friday morning, around 8:30 a.m., when officials said that fellow beach-goers found a female juvenile, who turned out to be Batista’s daughter, in distress and successfully got her out of the water, USA Today reported.
She was taken to the hospital by first-aid members and is expected to recover, NBC New York reported.
However, around 10 a.m., Batista’s body was found submerged and brought to the shore where lifesaving efforts began, police said.
He was then taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, USA Today reported.
