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Jason DeGray died a “hero,” drowning in the Atlantic Ocean after plunging into a vicious rip current to save his son at a popular beach destination, his wife said. A good Samaritan who rushed from the sand to help was also killed, even as the child was pulled to safety.
The man, a father of three from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, reached his son Bryce and pulled the 12-year-old to safety at Cocoa Beach before the current swept him out to sea on April 15, his wife told the Connecticut Post.
DeGray “was a hero and an amazing dad and partner,” his grieving widow, Meagan DeGray, told the local outlet.
“He was a great father,” she said. “He did everything for his kids. He was such a hard worker.”
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The tragedy occurred at popular Cocoa Beach, with authorities being called to a water emergency involving four people.
Two of the people affected, DeGray and 34-year-old Ebony Mount, a woman from Ohio, were transported to a hospital but died, police said.
“The Cocoa Beach Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this tragic loss,” the department said in a release.
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Meagan DeGray said she was with the couple’s youngest child at a nearby Airbnb when the accident unfolded, telling the Connecticut Post that it was “super traumatic” not being there.
“Jason hated the beach,” the widow said. “He went in because his son was struggling.”
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DeGray, according to his obituary, was a “die-hard” Las Vegas Raiders fan and spent 25 years working in the flooring industry.
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“He grew up with a strong sense of loyalty to family and friends, a trait that defined his life,” the obituary says. “His children Bailey, Bryce, and Brynn were the center of his world, and he cherished every moment spent with them.”
According to the National Weather Center, the Florida coast – from south of Palm Coast to Miami – is identified as a high risk for rip currents.
“Conditions are starting to subside, making the ocean a lot more calm or appearing to look more calm. But those surf conditions have caused significant damage to the sandbars causing flash rip currents,” Brevard County Ocean Rescue Chief Eisen Witcher said.
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“It’s very fast, it’s very unexpected, and you can lose your footing very quickly,” he said. “We watch, we try to prevent that as much as we possibly can in our life-guarded areas. Outside of a life-guarded area, it’s very difficult for people from out of town or tourists to know or understand or what to do.”
The chief said the nearest lifeguard was three-quarters of a mile away at the time of the emergency.
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“Right now, we are actively recruiting for more lifeguards. We have been for the better part of two or three months now,” Witcher said, explaining that they have a tryout this weekend. “We’d like to see at least 45 more [lifeguards].”
In situations where there is no nearby lifeguard, calling 911 is your best bet, he said.
