Beach safety: Family urging beachgoers to be aware of rip currents after loved ones drowning
GALVESTON, Texas - A family is urging beachgoers to be cautious after a strong rip current pulled their loved one away from shore. 26-year-old Joshua Acevedo was visiting from Louisiana when he drowned in Galveston last month.
With summer slowly approaching, and more people headed to the beach, Joshua Acevedo’s family is sharing his story to warn others about the dangers of rip currents. They said they want to prevent another drowning from happening again.
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"If we would have known this was going to happen, we wouldn’t have went," said Jelisa Hughes, Joshua's cousin.
A fun day at the beach ended in tragedy when a strong rip current took the life of 26-year-old Joshua Acevedo. Joshua and his family traveled Galveston to celebrate his sister joining the military force.
"Once we did arrive, we did notice that the waves were really high," said Hughes.
"I wasn’t expecting it to be that strong and I didn’t realize until the lifeguard was already blowing his whistle. At that point, we were pretty much being dragged away," said Juan Avecedo, Joshua's father.
Joshua’s father said he and his family were riding the waves when the dangerous rip current pulled them out from shore. Lifeguards ran to the rescue to pull the family out of the water.
"Joshua, he was pulled out third. I was the last one to come out, whereas I saw them doing CPR on him," said Avecedo.
Despite the CPR efforts, Joshua died at the hospital. His family wants him to be remembered as a hard-working man, with a passion for the Dallas Mavericks, his love of music, and collecting shoes.
"This incident has really brought us closer together, and it really makes you realize that tomorrow is not promised," said Hughes. "It’s just so much. I’m going to miss about him. It’s kind of still unreal, but we are just going to miss his presence most of all."
In the wake of the tragedy, Joshua’s family hopes his story can raise awareness of rip currents and prevent similar tragedies.
"If you’re going to the beach, find out what the current is going to be. That’s one of the things that I never thought about doing," said Acevedo.
"I would just say, make a good sound judgment. Look at the water, look at the waves before you jump in," said Hughes.
Joshua’s family said they would like to thank the lifeguards for their quick response and the beachgoers who prayed with them while their loved one was undergoing CPR.