AVON BY THE SEA: A father who drowned to death trying to save his daughter has been identified as firefighter Mark Batista of the FDNY. Batista was assigned to Engine Company 226 in Brooklyn. The fire department released a statement saying the following.

“We are heartbroken to learn about the death of Firefighter Mark Batista, who died Friday while swimming at the Jersey Shore,” the FDNY said in a statement. “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.”

The whole story regarding the drowning can be found here.