Both of them were deeply enamored. “It was obvious if you were around them,” said Larry Warter of the bond between Erica and Brian. Brian’s mother Susie Warter said that everyone who knew Erica and her son thought highly of them.

Friends, neighbors, and the community at large offered Brian’s family a lot of messages of support. We’ve been inundated with offers of help and other things. Larry Warter said, “We didn’t realize we were experiencing this alone.”

In honor of their memory, the couple started a GoFundMe campaign. There, Wayne Sallurday honored Erica with a touching speech. “Erica was a very exceptional person. Her two girls were adopted at an early age, and she had two sons. She had been a loving mother.

“Erica began her career as an elementary school special needs teacher before transitioning to the school library. She spent a lot of time volunteering at the church in her neighborhood. We could go on and on, but we think you get the idea now. You will never meet someone as kind as her.

The National Weather Service provides important information about rip currents on its website, emphasizing that while they don’t pull swimmers under, they can quickly tire them out. Keeping your cool is essential.

Simply said, attempting to swim against a rip current will require more energy than surviving and escaping it. Don’t try to swim all the way to the coast. Until the current stops pulling you, swim parallel to the coast. The website advises breaking free of the current’s attraction and swimming at an angle toward the coast. The organization advises against swimming alone and to always abide by the proverb “If in doubt, don’t go out.”

This unfortunate incident should serve as a reminder to avoid rip currents and to always follow safety recommendations when swimming.