A dangerous riptide at Long Point beach resulted in the death of a beloved father who tried to save his children as they were pulled out to sea.

Kevin Foster, 55, of Cambridge, was at the West Tisbury south shore beach on Friday with his family when he noticed swimmers struggling with the current and calling for help, Cape and Islands district attorney spokesperson Danielle Whitney confirmed Tuesday.

Mr. Foster entered the water but got caught in the current along with four other swimmers, which included his sons. The other swimmers made it back safely to the beach with the assistance of rescuers and beachgoers.

Mr. Foster was also pulled out of the water but was later pronounced dead. He leaves behind his wife Nadia and two sons.

“This loss is unimaginable, and our grief is immense,” Ms. Foster wrote on a website dedicated to Mr. Foster. “As my sons, Kaden and Kenneth, his mother, Ms. Racelle Devoe, and I, along with our family and closest community, mourn Kevin, I ask that you allow us privacy and time.” 

First responders were alerted to five swimmers being pulled further and further from shore at 3:47 p.m. on Friday. Mr. Foster was unconscious and not breathing when he was brought back onto land and loaded into an awaiting Tri-Town ambulance at 4:23 p.m., officials said. 

Cambridge state Rep. Marjorie Decker is close to the Foster family and grew up with Ms. Foster. The death of Mr. Foster was devastating, she wrote on social media.

“For those who know our family, you know that Nadia has been my sister in every way but blood since we were five years old, growing up together on Fairmont Street,” she wrote. “Kevin became family from the moment he entered our lives. He was like a brother to me, an uncle to my children, another son to my mother, and above all, an extraordinary husband, devoted father, and cherished friend.” 

Mr. Foster was a member of the Cambridge Community Preservation Act committee and worked to preserve affordable housing and strengthen the community, according to Ms. Decker. 

“To know the Fosters is to know what community truly means,” she wrote. “They have spent their lives opening their home and hearts to others, making everyone feel welcome, valued and loved. The love surrounding them now is a reflection of the countless lives they touched.” 

Ms. Decker started a Gofundme page to help the family; as of Wednesday morning, more than $138,000 was raised. 

In the wake of Mr. Foster’s death, the Trustees of Reservations, which owns the beach, closed the Long Point Wildlife Refuge for the weekend, and refunded people who had booked reservations. The conservation nonprofit said the choice was made due to the conditions on the water and out of respect for the community and Trustees staff. 

“At this time, our priority is supporting the efforts of the community and the well-being of all visitors and staff,” the Trustees wrote on social media. 

People who were at the beach Friday said that conditions had been treacherous throughout the day.

“I stopped going in midway through the day beyond 10 feet in because it was getting more and more violent,” said Kelly McNeil, a seasonal Island resident who was at the beach and witnessed the rescue.

Ms. McNeil was just about to leave the beach when she saw the swimmers being pulled out to sea, she said. 

Beachgoers were the first people who went out to rescue the swimmers. Trustees rangers and Edgartown lifeguards who drove ATVs five miles over from South Beach took over when they arrived, but the current made bringing the people back to shore difficult. At one point, Ms. McNeil estimated that Mr. Foster was 150 yards offshore.

“They were moving backwards,” she said.

Ms. McNeil praised everyone who stepped in to help.

“They were just so very brave,” she said. “I’m just sorry the outcome wasn’t better.”

Beachgoers watching from the shore were distraught and crying as they saw the rescue effort unfold.

“We watched as they fought to get him back to the beach,” said Lisa Conroy Murphy, who was at Long Point with her husband. “When he finally arrived at the beach, I actually went over to where their stuff was and began packing it up as I couldn’t bear to watch them try to revive him.“

Long Point is one of the more remote areas on the Vineyard and it took rescuers about 30 minutes to drive down the winding dirt roads to get to the beach. 

Lifeguards are not stationed at the Trustees beach, though there is rescue equipment there for rangers. There are often riptides along the Vineyard’s south shore and Edgartown guards pulled several people from the water at South Beach the same day that Mr. Foster died. 

Despite the tragic outcome, West Tisbury police Chief Bradley Cortez commended everyone’s efforts. 

“They worked as hard as they could,” he said.