STUART, Fla. — A red flag at Stuart Beach on Thursday warned swimmers of rough conditions.

Erica Wishard and Brian Warter’s day was very similar to this. drowned on Hutchinson Island I returned in June.

“Brian and several children were in the water and they managed to get out, then Brian said to the children, ‘Wait on the shore, I’ll go get your mother,’ and then he ran back into the ocean and Wishard’s sister, Amy Jahnigen, died trying to save him,” said Wishard’s sister, Amy Jahnigen.

The couple’s families said they went on holiday in an apartment with a private unprotected beach.

“There’s no way a tourist or a visitor could come and know, okay, today is a really tough day because they don’t have signage,” Jahnigen said.

“When you say swim at your own risk, you have to start defining the risk,” Warter’s father said. Larry Warter.

Now two families are fighting for reform.

“I want to start with the resorts because that’s where there are a lot of tourists,” Jahnigen said.

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He hopes the state of Florida will update its laws to require signage and warning flags, as well as lifeguards at resorts and private beaches.

“If there had been a flag, if there had been a warning, if there had been information to educate them, they wouldn’t have gone into the water,” Jahnigen said. he said.

Martin County says most unprotected beaches warn there are no lifeguards and signs against the tide.

Jahnigen made his request for safety improvements at the Martin County commissioners meeting.

He is also in contact with Martin County Ocean Rescue. They sent us this statement: “We have had initial discussions to explore how we can support beach safety education and drowning prevention efforts in unprotected areas in the future.”

Martin County Ocean Rescue says there have been a total of eight drownings at all beaches in the county in the last five years.

The next step will be for Jahnigen to speak with Rep. Brian Mast at a meeting scheduled for next week to discuss how to move forward on the legislation.

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Both families say they are still grieving the loss of two “wonderful people.”

“I mean, they were like such a sweet couple and they were both kind of in the second episode,” Jahnigen said.

The next chapter is written by two heartbroken families determined to fight against the strong current that comes with change.

“I want what happened to our family to happen to maybe save someone else,” Jahnigen said.

“I hope we save someone in the future,” Warter added.