Michael Stephens, 42, and his 10-year-old daughter Isabella were in the ocean at Pass-a-Grille beach when they were caught in a “severe” rip current and drowned, according to authorities.

Officials in Florida say a father and his 10-year-old daughter were killed over the weekend after being swept away by a deadly rip current.

According to a news statement from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Stephens, 42, and his daughter Isabella were visiting Pass-a-Grille Beach with a group of loved ones on Sunday (PCSO).

According to the PCSO, the two were in the water with Michael’s 20-year-old daughter Brittany and her boyfriend Jessie Johnson, when the outgoing rip current began to “strengthen.”

Johnson was able to pull Brittany from the sea, but when he went to assist the others, he discovered Michael and Isabella “were too far from shore,” according to the sheriff’s office.

According to police, who arrived to the call at 6:43 p.m., Michael’s 13-year-old daughter phoned for assistance while Johnson attempted to rescue the duo from the current, which “had gotten too powerful.”

The father-daughter pair was found about a half-mile from the coast by air search workers shortly before 8 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

According to WGN-TV and NBC affiliate WFLA, Veronica Meek of Colorado said she observed rescuers carry them to shore and stated both people appeared “unwell.”

According to reports, rescuers administered CPR on both victims after they were brought to land.

According to the PCSO, Michael and Isabella were taken to a local hospital and later confirmed dead.

According to the sheriff’s office, an investigation into the incident is ongoing, and their deaths are not being treated as suspicious.

According to the National Weather Service, about 30 individuals perished from rip currents in the United States in 2023, with six more casualties ranging in age from 17 to 75 in Florida.

According to NWS data, 14 people were killed in Florida by riptides in 2022.