NEW YORK (PIX11) – A father who drowned Friday near Sylvania Avenue Beach in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, has been identified as FDNY firefighter Mark Batista.
The FDNY said Batista, a veteran assigned to Engine Company 226 in Brooklyn, had lost his life while he and his family visited the Jersey Shore.
“We are heartbroken to learn about the death of Firefighter Mark Batista, who died Friday while swimming at the Jersey Shore,” the FDNY statement said. “Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent 15 years serving in the FDNY as both an EMT and a firefighter. We join his family in mourning his tragic passing.”
The tragic incident occurred around 8:30 a.m.
A rescue team searched the waters for about 10 minutes before finding his daughter and pulling her from the ocean, according to police. Batista, 39, was found submerged in the water around 10 a.m.
He was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
