‘The love of her life is gone’: North Yarmouth man drowns saving his kids from rip current

A North Yarmouth man is dead after saving his children from a riptide at a beach in Florida.

A close family friend tells Maine’s Total Coverage Ryan Jennings died Wednesday after trying to help two of his children who got caught in the current.

“I just couldn’t fathom it,” said Geraldine Ollila, a family friend of the Jennings.

Jennings lived in Cumberland County with his pregnant wife, Emily, and three children.

“The love of her life is gone,” Ollila said.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue says Ocean Rescue lifeguards conducted a water rescue near Juno Beach during the afternoon of April 1. They say they brought four people to shore and that current conditions were consistent with the potential for rip currents. They also say an off-duty PBCFR helped at the scene.

“This incident underscores the importance of swimming at guarded beaches, where trained lifeguards can identify hazardous conditions, including rough surf and rip current formation, helping to reduce the risk of incidents before they happen,” PBCFR said in a statement.

Ollila says Jennings was a large part of the Yarmouth community, coaching his son in football and wrestling.

“Ryan is just the most loving, stellar human being. He would help anybody who would do anything for anyone, especially his family. He was completely devoted to Emily and his children,” Ollila said.