When the riptide swept away a 15-year-old girl in Ocean City, her father, Douglas Martin, made a heroic effort to save her, but the current claimed both of their lives.
“They were out for a quick dip in the ocean. They were only thigh-high. A second later, they were swept out. Douglas had actually been in a place of safety, when he turned around to save his children,” said Douglas Martin?s sister-in-law, Karen Bassler.
Both father and daughter perished soon after the incident Thursday, and today Douglas Martin and his daughter, Amy, will be remembered at a ceremony in Columbia where they lived.
“We really are so proud of Doug. He risked his life to save someone else. We all say we would do that, and he really did. He was completely selfless,” Bassler said.
His 17-year-old-daughter, Emily, swam to shore, and his 13-year-old-daughter, Mary, was rescued by an Ocean City paramedic.
The family has three other daughters.
The two victims are memorialized with photographs and a message board on the Web site for Amy?s dancing school, the Teelin School of Irish Dance, at www.teelin.com.
“Amy was a big part of our school. She was a sweet girl, everyone loved her. All of our hearts are very heavy right now,” said Ellen Mackey, a manager at Teelin.
The school canceled classes today and Wednesday, so students could attend the funeral and viewing.
Her father was always supportive of Amy, who had cleft palate and macountless surgeries, Bassler said. The Martin family is active in its parish at Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Ilchester Road in Ellicott City.
“Douglas Martin was a Catholic hero. He was a role model for every man at the church. His priorities were his job as husband and father. He got it right,” said Jennifer Schuberth, a friend and member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Viewings and funeral
» Viewings today from 6 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
» Funeral Mass at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Interment will occur at the parish cemetery.
Recent drownings in state
At least 23 drownings have occurred in Maryland since June:
» June 6: Tyji Chester, 7, drowned in a Baltimore City Pool in Central Rosemont
» June 14: Nicholas Gouchnour, 18, went missing in Ocean City and was found in Cape May, N.J., June 28
» June 17: John Walker, 48, and William Heislup, 47, drowned in Oxon Hill
» June 20: Jeb Bello, 32, in Spa Creek in Annapolis
» June 22: Connor Freed, 5, in the Crofton Country Club pool
» June 27: Michael White, 14, and Thomas Plunkard, in Little Pipe Creek
» June 27: Angela Haulsee, 29, Eric Depp, 19, and Jesse Haulsee, 24, in Frederick County floodwaters
» July 2: Keith Alan Annon, 17, in Loch Raven Reservoir
» July 3: Quang Tran, 24, in Ocean City riptide
» July 3: Ryan McCurley, 16, in Patapsco Valley State Park
» July 6: Justin Smith, 21, and Adam Klank, 22, in Prettyboy Reservoir
» July 12: Elie Scott, 7, at Rockville Jewish Community Center
» June 25: Vladimir Zhygalo, 52, in Muddy Branch drainage pond
» July 16: Luis Vargas, 16, in the Severn River
» July 27: Dipeshi Giri, 22, in Bohrer Park Lake
» Aug. 12: Devina Brown, 8, in Cherry Hill Splash Park, Baltimore City
» Aug. 24: Rodell Kyree Lee, 8, in a pool in the Milesone community in Germantown
» Sept. 14: Douglas Martin, 46, and Amy Martin, 15, in Ocean City riptide
