SEABROOK, N.H. (WHDH/AP) — A pair of swimmers who authorities in New Hampshire say died after getting caught in riptides over the weekend have been identified as a husband and wife from Massachusetts.
RELATED: Good Samaritan helps pull 6 people from deadly rip currents at Seabrook Beach
Emergency personnel responded to Seabrook Beach around noon Sunday. Seabrook Deputy Fire Chief Lawrence Perkins said CPR was performed on both victims as they were transported to two separate hospitals.
Police say a 49-year-old Michael Cote, of Methuen, was pronounced dead Sunday. His wife, 47-year-old Laura Cote, died Monday morning.
She had been in critical condition.
In a post on the church’s Facebook page, Saint Francis of Assisi Parish described the couple as “truly devoted followers of Christ.”
Authorities say five other people struggled in the water and were helped by good Samaritans and police.
Matt Tomaszewski, who rushed into the water to help the swimmers, was on his front porch with his wife and infant daughter when he heard people screaming.
“I got to the three individuals, the other two were in shock, screaming to try, so I put the board out so they could grab it,” he recalled. “They grabbed the board and the third individual had his head in the water, so I grabbed him, I helped prop his head up on the board, I helped him push his torso on the board as best I could and then we got toppled with a really large wave and that ended up sending that guy 30 or 35 feet away.”
Another couple struggling to stay afloat grabbed Tomaszewski’s attention.
“At that point, I came to the realization that they needed to get to shore if they were gonna make it,” he said.
Tomaszewski pulled them onto his paddleboard and pushed them toward the shore on the next wave. They made it safely and Tomaszewski rushed back to find the other man.
“I ended up paddling, with (my family) on my mind,” he said. “Those guys helped me get back, my daughter and my wife, and I’m getting emotional but I paddled with everything I could to get back.”
Seabrook police issued a swim advisory due to strong currents.
Anyone with further information related to this incident is asked to contact Seabrook Police Officer Nicholas Haroutunian at 603-293-2037 or by email at Nicholas.Haroutunian@dos.nh.gov.
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