A 44-year-old father with four children died Wednesday while trying to save his son from a dangerous riptide on a Massachusetts beach.
Gary Simard was enjoying a beach day with his family at Salisbury Beach in northern Massachusetts when the tragic incident occurred.
Simard’s son was swimming in the sea and was caught in a strong current that pulled him away from the shore and deeper into the water.
His father heard him calling for help and made an attempt to save his son. His son was brought safely to shore by two bystanders, but Simard tragically died after being stuck in the water for over 20 minutes.
Simard’s family called him a hero who lived for his four children. He would bring his children to Salisbury Beach to pass on the same tradition he had practiced with his own family as a child.
Simard’s mother Linda described him as “the best father ever” and said: “He died trying to save his son.”
She said, ‘My son is a hero.’ He saved his son and lost his life for it, but he is my hero.’
There were two other passers-by who witnessed the boy being pulled out by the current and attempted to assist in the rescue – but during their efforts, Simard was pulled 100 meters from the shore.
Gary Simard, a 44-year-old father of four, died Wednesday while trying to save his son from a dangerous riptide on a Massachusetts beach
Simard, pictured here with his family, died while trying to rescue his son from a rip current
One of the bystanders, Robin DiNatale, said he heard a child say “help, help,” at which point the father “ran into the water and they both got in trouble.”
NiTale called 911 after realizing it was an emergency.
Jason Evan Iarossi was another on-site spectator. He told NBC 10 Boston that the waves were between four and six feet high.
Iarossi said, “We swam out to the boy.” We were overwhelmed and it was too much. It was too much.’
The viewer said he thinks the water has been rougher since Hurricane Lee passed through New England. He said, “I don’t think anyone belongs in the water.”
The other passerby who attempted to join the effort to rescue the son was Kenny Crosby.
Crosby said: “The boy kept walking and then the father ran away.”
“Then the father also shouted ‘Help’.” I had no choice, I had to run out of there,
“Little teenager. His father looked like he was in trouble. The boy took my hand. We started swimming and I don’t know. It was like survival mode.’
The two helpers managed to swim back to shore, but the father was stuck in the flood for 20 minutes before he was rescued.
Emergency responders arrived quickly on scene and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Simard at the scene, but he was later pronounced dead after he was taken to Seabrook’s emergency room.
Simard’s father – also called Gary – said: “The gentleman who went out must have had a choice – to save my grandson or my son.” “He made the right decision because he almost didn’t make it.”
Earlier this summer, the Jersey Shore was hit by strong currents, resulting in three drownings.
Heavy waves and high tides occurred on New Jersey beaches over Labor Day weekend, resulting in the deaths of three swimmers.
A 22-year-old man drowned in Beach Haven, New Jersey and was identified as Edwin Antonio Made Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.
Simard’s son was swimming in the sea and was caught in a strong current that pulled him away from the shore and deeper into the water
Simard’s mother Linda described him as “the best father ever” and said: “He died trying to save his son.”
Sanchez was swimming in the ocean at Fifth Street Beach in Beach Haven, Ocean County, when he drowned in the rough waves of the current.
Two other swimmers, along with Sanchez, were caught in the dangerous tides at Beach Haven, prompting lifeguards to form a human chain to search for them.
Lifeguards pulled the two swimmers safely to shore, but efforts by police and emergency services in the area failed to save the 22-year-old man from drowning in the rough waters.
Some swimmers were fortunately saved from drowning in the same currents over the weekend.
Stephen Houser, 35, who was traveling with his family, was filming a YouTube video of himself surfing when he spotted swimmer Gabe McCabe struggling in the water off Sea Bright beach.
Using his surfboard as a life raft, Houser managed to pull the struggling swimmer out of the dangerous waters.