HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. >> A Pennsylvania couple vacationing in Florida with their six children drowned after they were caught in a rip current while swimming, authorities said.

Brian Warter, 51, 48-year-old Erica Wishard and two of their mostly teenage children were caught in the current on Hutchinson Island, along Florida’s southeastern coast, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

“The kids were able to break the current and attempted to help their parents, but it became too dangerous and they were forced to swim ashore,” investigators said.

Martin County Ocean Rescue attempted lifesaving measures and took the couple to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office. A crisis intervention deputy is assisting the children while other family members travel to meet them in Florida. The sheriff’s office did not say where in Pennsylvania the family was from.

— The Associated Press