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Sherrod Whittington drowned while trying to save his wife Kendra Smith
Pair were swept away by a rip current in waters off Miami Beach Sunday
Whittington found Smith in the water and told lifeguards to save her first
Some of their belongings were stolen during the tragic incident, she said

By Ariel Zilber and Jenny Stanton For Dailymail.com

Published: 14:42 EST, 15 August 2016 | Updated: 23:19 EST, 15 August 2016

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A woman whose husband saved her from a rip current off a beach in Miami has paid tribute to her 'hero' and has revealed their belongings were stolen during the horrific ordeal.

Kendra Smith and 34-year-old Sherrod Whittington, from Fort Myers, were playing in the waves at Miami Beach Sunday when they were swept away by the current at around 2pm. He told lifeguards to save her first.

'I was trying to hold onto him, he was trying to hold onto me,' Smith told Wink News. 'In some kind of wave, he lost his grasp and then he got me back again, he found me again.'

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Hero: Sherrod Whittington, from Fort Myers, saved his wife's life before drowning in waters off Miami Beach

Kendra Smith (pictured) and 34-year-old Sherrod Whittington were swept away by the current

The current was particularly strong at the time, and swimmers were warned of the risk after lifeguards placed a red flag on the beach.

As lifeguards were busy removing swimmers from the water, they pulled the Whittington’s body out.

He was not breathing and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Smith, who had been married to Whittington for just two years, said: 'He did the most amazing thing in the world that he gave his life for me... I’m going to honor him until the day I die because of that… He’ll always be my hero.'

She told Wink News some of their belongings, including their credit cards, were stolen during the tragic incident.

Rip currents kill an estimated 100 swimmers every year in the United States. They also account for some 80 per cent of beach rescues.

They are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that usually affect the coastal areas as well as the Great Lakes, according to the National Ocean Service.

Rescuers move Sherrod Whittington into an emergency vehicle to be taken to hospital

Rip currents are estimated to move at eight feet per second, which is even faster than an Olympic swimmer.

Experts say that swimmers make the mistake of fighting the rip current by swimming against it, wearing them out and draining them of energy needed to avoid drowning.

Instead, swimmers should float with the rip current, which will take them a bit further from shore momentarily but will not pull them under.

A Miami Beach resident, James Quinlas, told WSVN television that vacationers from out of town are at a disadvantage since they are not accustomed to the intensity of the rip currents.

'We get currents like these from time to time so, you know, you take care', he said.

The incident occurred in Miami Beach, which is widely regarded as one of the most visited beach resorts in the country

The couple went into the ocean at around 2pm Sunday. Pictured above, Miami Beach

'But I could see if you’re out of town, maybe that would be something that you wouldn’t be familiar with'.

'It’s devastating,' said Jessica Roeder, a native of Indiana who is vacationing in Miami Beach. 'You’re trying to help your wife out, and you end up dying.'

'I can only imagine what’s going through her head right now'.