Massachusetts father dies after rescuing sons caught in Martha’s Vineyard riptide
TheGrio...
Kevin Foster was remembered as a devoted father, husband and community advocate after the July 31 rescue.
Kevin Foster, a Massachusetts father and marketing executive, died after entering the water to help his two sons and other swimmers caught in a riptide off Martha’s Vineyard. His sons survived. Family, friends and community members have remembered Foster as a devoted father, husband and community advocate.
According to the West Tisbury Police Department, the incident happened at Long Point on Martha’s Vineyard on July 31. Emergency crews responded shortly before 4 p.m. and found several people in distress.
Three lifeguards from another nearby beach also entered the water and helped bring four people safely to shore. Foster was transported to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, where he later died. Foster’s teenage sons, Kenneth and Kaden, survived the incident.
His family has expressed gratitude for the first responders and beachgoers who helped that day by putting themselves at risk during the rescue.
Foster was buried on Aug. 11. His wife, Nadia, remembered him as a beloved husband and father and asked for privacy as the family grieves. Beyond his work as a marketing executive, Foster was involved in his Cambridge community, focusing on affordable housing and community preservation. Friends described him as someone who opened his home and heart to others.
A GoFundMe established to support his sons’ education had raised more than $290,000 as of Thursday, August 13. The tragedy also comes amid a series of recent incidents involving swimmers caught in dangerous currents, highlighting the unpredictable risks on seemingly ordinary days at the beach.