Husband, Wife Die In Seabrook Beach Rip Current
SEABROOK, N.H. (CBS) – Dangerous surf killed a Methuen couple, who were swept up while swimming at Seabrook Beach in New Hampshire.
Michael Cote, 49, and his wife Laura Cote, 47, were two of six swimmers pulled out by a rip current on Sunday.
"I've never seen it like that there before," said Shaun Murray, who was on the beach at the time. He and his wife are both former lifeguards. "We heard a scream so I ran into the water, I saw one woman was trying to get back in, I went out to her, tried to pull her back out of the water. Once I had her to shore my wife had gone out and swam out to someone else."
Murray's wife performed CPR on Laura Cote until fire, EMTs and police took over.
Family members say both were strong swimmers and were not deep in the water. They say when Laura Cote was swept under, her husband went after her.
"You couldn't move forward or back or anything," Murray said of the water at the time.
There were no lifeguards on duty at the beach. Lifeguards from nearby Hampton Beach rushed to the scene with a rescue boat and jet skis. Witnesses said several police officers also jumped into the water, still in their uniforms.
Town officials are not discussing the possibility of adding lifeguards to the beach. "Hopefully we can learn from this incident," Town Manager Bill Manzi said.
