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Master sgt. drowns rescuing children at beach

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — A Marine based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. drowned in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday while saving two children.

Master Sgt. Michael Wert, an intelligence specialist with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, was with his family at Atlantic Beach when they noticed two boys in distress, according to an air station press release.

Wert went to help the boys while his wife, Debbie, called 911, she said in a statement.

Shortly after Michael Wert went in the ocean, his daughter Katrina, followed with a boogie board to help. In the meantime, Debbie Wert headed went to retrieve another board to help. By the time she returned, a rescue team was on the scene, according to the release.

“[Katrina] managed to help the boys onto the board, but didn’t see her dad with them,” Debbie Wert said in a statement. “The one little boy told her he had to let them go and had died. We realized at that point we were only seeing three heads on the board and that Mike was missing.”

The rescue team found the master sergeant, but was unable to revive him, according to the release.

Debbie Wert described people on the beach that day — strangers who prayed with the family and took care of the couple’s three children, bringing them towels and comforting them as efforts were made to revive Michael Wert.

The air station press release states that Michael Wert, a Desert Storm veteran, “was a credit to the Marine Corps, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and Cherry Point. He was well liked in his unit and was known for his willingness to help anyone. He will be sorely missed.”

A memorial service will be at the air station at 10 a.m. Wednesday.