


A veteran FDNY firefighter drowned Friday while trying to save his daughter from treacherous waters on the Jersey Shore, officials said.
Mark Batista, a Teaneck resident and Brooklyn Engine Company 226 member, died during a family trip near Sylvania Avenue Beach in Avon-by-the-Sea, the FDNY confirmed.
“We are heartbroken to learn about the death of Firefighter Mark Batista, who died Friday while swimming at the Jersey Shore,” spokesperson Amanda Farinacci Gonzalez said.
“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.”
Batista, 39, jumped into the rough surf at 8:30 a.m. after noticing his teenage daughter was caught in a rip current near a jetty, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Instead, Batista was swept under the water.
A rescue team searched for about 10 minutes before finding the teenager and rushing her to the hospital, where she is expected to recover.
Batista was found submerged around 10 a.m. and taken to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center and pronounced dead.
Lifeguards were not on duty while the family was swimming — the beach doesn’t staff the stands until next weekend.
“In the wake of this morning’s unfortunate incident in Avon where a man drowned while trying to rescue his daughter after she was caught in rough surf, we once again caution all to please NOT go in the water when there are no lifeguards on duty,” the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office said.