A New York City firefighter died Friday when he tried to rescue his teenage daughter from rough surf at the Jersey Shore, authorities said.
The firefighter was identified as Fire Department of New York member Mark Batista, 39, according to the fire department.
"Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent fifteen years serving in the FDNY, as both an EMT and a firefighter," FDNY spokesperson Jim Long said in a statement to NBC News. "We join his family in mourning his tragic passing."
Emergency crews responded to Sylvania Avenue Beach in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, around 8:38 a.m. for reports of two swimmers in distress, the Area Network of Shore Water Emergency Responders said in a statement.
Upon arriving at the scene, the teenage girl was rescued and taken to an area hospital for treatment. The 15-year-old girl is expected to recover, NBC New York reported.
After multiple units including rescue swimmers, divers, jet skis, boats, and a drone searched for over an hour, Batista was found about 50 feet from the shoreline, NBC New York reported.
He was pulled from the water and treated on the scene, but he was later pronounced dead at an area hospital, according to Area Network of Shore Water Emergency Responders.
After the tragic incident, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office urged swimmers to remain on the shore and not go into the water when there are no lifeguards on duty.
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