Father who drowned trying to save daughter on Jersey Shore identified as FDNY Firefighter Mark Batista
AVON-BY-THE-SEA, N.J. -- A man who drowned on the Jersey Shore while trying to rescue his daughter has been identified as an FDNY firefighter.
Mark Batista, 39, worked at Engine Company 226 in Brooklyn.
On Friday, he jumped in the water at Avon-by-the-Sea to help his daughter, who was caught in a rip current.
Rescue crews saved the girl but didn't find Batista until it was too late.
No lifeguards were on duty at the time. They are reportedly not required in the area fulltime until after Father's Day.
The FDNY released the following statement:
"We are heartbroken to learn about the death of Firefighter Mark Batista, who died Friday while swimming at the Jersey Shore.
"Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent fifteen years serving in the FDNY, as both an EMT and a firefighter. We join his family in mourning his tragic passing."
