A Maine father of three died last week after rescuing two of his children from a powerful rip current while the family was vacationing in Florida, loved ones said.
Ryan Jennings was swimming with his 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter at Juno Beach on Wednesday afternoon, while his wife, Emily Jennings, stayed on shore with their youngest child and a niece.
According to Emily, the three were suddenly caught in a rip current. Their son, Jax, managed to make it back to shore and told her his father and sister were struggling in the water.
In a final act of bravery, Ryan pushed his son toward safety and kept his daughter lifted above the water to prevent her from drowning, she said per NBC News.
“They already know that he was a hero. That showed through his actions and the way he made them feel,” Emily Jennings said in reference to her kids. “I think that’s why everybody that he knew, knew he was a hero.”
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue said lifeguards responded to a water emergency around 3:25 p.m. Wednesday near Juno Beach. Four swimmers in an unguarded area were pulled from the ocean and taken to a nearby hospital. Officials noted conditions at the time were consistent with rip current activity.
According to a Juno Beach Police Department report, the Jennings family had been struggling in the water when Ryan Jennings entered the ocean to help his children. Officers arrived as he was being brought to shore unconscious and not breathing. First responders performed lifesaving measures before he was transported to Jupiter Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Authorities explained that rip currents are narrow, fast-moving channels of water that can quickly pull swimmers away from shore. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates about 100 people die each year due to rip currents.
Officials emphasized that the tragedy highlights the importance of swimming at guarded beaches, where lifeguards can spot dangerous conditions and help prevent emergencies.
In the days following the incident, Jennings’ mother, Gail McLaughlin Toti, publicly thanked first responders and medical teams for their efforts and compassion.
Emily Jennings said she met her husband while she was a single mother attending nursing school. Early in their relationship, after her apartment caught fire, he welcomed her and her child into his family’s home. The couple later married and built a life together, raising three children—Jax, Charlie and Bowie—and recently learned they were expecting a fourth.
A GoFundMe created to support the family describes Ryan Jennings as a devoted husband and father. The fundraiser had surpassed $200,000 as of Monday night.