Jewish Community Mourns Loss Of Prominent Rabbis Who Drowned At Haulover Park

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HAULOVER (CBSMiami) – A tragedy at Haulover Park Tuesday after two prominent rabbis drowned.

Members of the Jewish community gathered at Aventura Hospital and are mourning the loss of Rabbi Yitzhok Rosenberg, 67, and Rabbi Chaim Parnes, 66 – two prominent members of a Jewish community in New York.

According to sources, five friends who were on vacation, including the two rabbis, went swimming near Lifeguard Tower Four at Haulover Park.

People at the beach told CBS4's Oralia Ortega the men were caught in a strong rip current.

An off-duty Bal Harbour police officer was on his way to court when he overheard the call from 911.

He headed over to the scene where two of the men were already out of the water.

Officer George Waisman was notified a third person was still in the ocean. He jumped on personal watercraft with a lifeguard and brought a victim ashore.

Ofc. Waisman off duty, attempted to rescue swimmers off Haulover Beach. 2 were taken to the hospital, 1 drowned. pic.twitter.com/sHPXttQh53

— Bal Harbour Police (@balharbourpd) May 17, 2016

Rescue crews performed CPR on Rabbi Rosenberg and Rabbi Parnes.

They were rushed to Aventura Hospital where they later died.

Another person, Aaron Wercberger, was taken to Mount Sinai in stable condition.

Rabbi Parnes, you may remember, was in the news last November when he was robbed by three gunmen in North Miami.

The Miami-Dade Police Department's Homicide Bureau is leading the investigation.