A father from Massachusetts died after using his final moments to save his two teenage sons from a powerful rip current off Martha's Vineyard, pushing them towards safety before he was pulled under. Kevin Foster was swimming with his sons when the current dragged all three out to sea; he managed to get the boys close enough to shore or to help before succumbing to the water himself, in an act being widely described as one of selfless heroism.

The tragedy has drawn tributes from family and the local community, who have highlighted the strength and instinct that led Foster to prioritise his children's survival over his own. Rip currents are a well-documented hazard along the Martha's Vineyard coastline and elsewhere in the north-eastern United States, capable of overpowering even strong swimmers within seconds, and officials frequently warn beachgoers to swim parallel to shore rather than against the current if caught in one.