Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.

This story has stayed with me for years. The mother was right next to him. The wave hit him.

I still remember being at the OBX. I was in ankle deep water, holding DS who under 2 at the time. A random wave came and hit us. I remember tumbling over and over and just telling myself not to let go of him. I couldn't stand up because I didn't want to let go to use my arms. Finally, someone came and grabbed DS by the ankle and took him out of my arms. I was able to get up. It was terrifying. I think it was only seconds, but it felt like hours. WE still go every year but my kids do wear life jackets and they must stay close to shore.

I don't understand why you keep going. There are plenty of beaches where the water is much calmer and that is much less likely to happen. Wearing a life jacket is not a guarantee of protection.

Yeah, i don't know. The kids love it and want to go back every year, so we go. Last year we didn't even get in the ocean since it was red flags the entire time.

Yes, my kids/I love the beach too. What I'm saying is you can go to a beach that's not as dangerous as OBX.

Anonymous wrote:so many crazy accidents happen all the time and just like illness, it immediately triggers this idea in us that we would have avoided it and we can avoid it. but the truth is - sh*t happens.

I worked in news for 12 years and for a long time I would gather 'trends' I saw and try to learn from them... having a pitbull/ drive on lawnmower (so many horrific child related accidents)/ pickup truck without rearview assist/ skiing/ any type of motorbike/ any small prop plane in any weather piloted by almost anyone/ swimming in pretty much any lake (nageri fowleri)/ flying on plane with peanut allergy and no epi pen - I could go on.

there but by the grace of god. be humble people.

+100000
Well said PP.

Shit happens in life to all of us. You can be totally prepared and take every precaution - there's never a 100% guarantee and you should feel grateful for safety and health always. Accidents and even stuff like this where I think the parents probably bore some responsibility on some level not because they allowed their kids to dig but because 1. they couldn't have dug that deep without an adult's help so it would seem 2. adults (ie parents) had to be around to keep an eye on them but the kids were buried for an unknown amount of time so it looks like they were on their own for some time.

I have to admit even though sand is porous being common sense - when my younger kids were digging - I never thought twice to let them even though they would never be able to dig that deep. I absolutely feel that many people would not have assumed digging could lead to this type of tragedy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.

This story has stayed with me for years. The mother was right next to him. The wave hit him.

I still remember being at the OBX. I was in ankle deep water, holding DS who under 2 at the time. A random wave came and hit us. I remember tumbling over and over and just telling myself not to let go of him. I couldn't stand up because I didn't want to let go to use my arms. Finally, someone came and grabbed DS by the ankle and took him out of my arms. I was able to get up. It was terrifying. I think it was only seconds, but it felt like hours. WE still go every year but my kids do wear life jackets and they must stay close to shore.

I don't understand why you keep going. There are plenty of beaches where the water is much calmer and that is much less likely to happen. Wearing a life jacket is not a guarantee of protection.

Yeah, i don't know. The kids love it and want to go back every year, so we go. Last year we didn't even get in the ocean since it was red flags the entire time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.

This story has stayed with me for years. The mother was right next to him. The wave hit him.

I still remember being at the OBX. I was in ankle deep water, holding DS who under 2 at the time. A random wave came and hit us. I remember tumbling over and over and just telling myself not to let go of him. I couldn't stand up because I didn't want to let go to use my arms. Finally, someone came and grabbed DS by the ankle and took him out of my arms. I was able to get up. It was terrifying. I think it was only seconds, but it felt like hours. WE still go every year but my kids do wear life jackets and they must stay close to shore.

I don't understand why you keep going. There are plenty of beaches where the water is much calmer and that is much less likely to happen. Wearing a life jacket is not a guarantee of protection.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.

This story has stayed with me for years. The mother was right next to him. The wave hit him.

I still remember being at the OBX. I was in ankle deep water, holding DS who under 2 at the time. A random wave came and hit us. I remember tumbling over and over and just telling myself not to let go of him. I couldn't stand up because I didn't want to let go to use my arms. Finally, someone came and grabbed DS by the ankle and took him out of my arms. I was able to get up. It was terrifying. I think it was only seconds, but it felt like hours. WE still go every year but my kids do wear life jackets and they must stay close to shore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beach sand is dangerously unstable - always. The rule is never dig a hole deeper than your knees.

It’s sad that so many people seem ignorant of this common sense.

If “so many people seem ignorant of this” then it’s not “common sense”. I hope this tragedy garners a lot of attention— so that people who are less familiar with beaches and the properties of sand can learn from it.

Yes. As someone who grew up 30 minutes from the ocean/a beach, I knew this rule. But this family was from Fort Wayne, Indiana- I'm guessing they were not going to "the beach" with regularity or enough to have this ingrained as common sense.

Just 2 hours from the Indiana Dunes, though.

https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm

There are many dangers that are not as widely known as, say, don’t touch downed power lines. Many skiers are unaware of tree wells, many parents don’t know not to go down slides with their young infants/toddlers, many people don’t know to rush to safety when their hair stands on end, many people don’t know what can happen if flour or other dust particles are ignited. There was a recent story of family members who died when they exited a car after it was struck by lightning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beach sand is dangerously unstable - always. The rule is never dig a hole deeper than your knees.

It’s sad that so many people seem ignorant of this common sense.

If “so many people seem ignorant of this” then it’s not “common sense”. I hope this tragedy garners a lot of attention— so that people who are less familiar with beaches and the properties of sand can learn from it.

Yes. As someone who grew up 30 minutes from the ocean/a beach, I knew this rule. But this family was from Fort Wayne, Indiana- I'm guessing they were not going to "the beach" with regularity or enough to have this ingrained as common sense.

This! I’m from a landlocked area and had no idea. Fortunately, my sister and I never had the interest or commitment to dig anything deeper than a few inches. And now I know and will make sure my kids know. But if you don’t live near a beach/sand, you don’t know the rules. Just like how Florida kids don’t learn to drive safely in the snow.

How does one learn to drive in snow in a place where it doesn’t snow?

That’s the state of Florida’s failing them somehow?

That wasn’t presented as a failing for Florida or parenting! That was presented as a comparison — kids who don’t grow up with access to sand/beaches don’t learn sand/beach safety; kids who don’t grow up with access to snow don’t learn about safety. It’s normal and expected and people shouldn’t be demonized for not having experienced all possible climates and their hazards.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.

It's a nightmare. I learned about these crazy freak waves only watching the recent news about sudden massive waves in California.

I’ve never heard of this ever. That’s terrible, ruins the beach for them for life

How terrible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beach sand is dangerously unstable - always. The rule is never dig a hole deeper than your knees.

It’s sad that so many people seem ignorant of this common sense.

If “so many people seem ignorant of this” then it’s not “common sense”. I hope this tragedy garners a lot of attention— so that people who are less familiar with beaches and the properties of sand can learn from it.

Yes. As someone who grew up 30 minutes from the ocean/a beach, I knew this rule. But this family was from Fort Wayne, Indiana- I'm guessing they were not going to "the beach" with regularity or enough to have this ingrained as common sense.

This! I’m from a landlocked area and had no idea. Fortunately, my sister and I never had the interest or commitment to dig anything deeper than a few inches. And now I know and will make sure my kids know. But if you don’t live near a beach/sand, you don’t know the rules. Just like how Florida kids don’t learn to drive safely in the snow.

How does one learn to drive in snow in a place where it doesn’t snow?

That’s the state of Florida’s failing them somehow?

I don't understand the fascination with digging deep holes on the beach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.

I'm from the Carolinas. OBX has horrible undertow and other current issues is well known for being dangerous. Going there with kids or weak swimmers is asking for trouble.

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s not a popular take, but this tragedy further justifies my firm anti-beach stance. I just hate it.

Back in 2018, a 4-year old boy was swept away from the shore by a freak wave in Kitty Hawk on OBX while walking on the beach in the morning with his mother. His body showed up 5 days later on the beach in Carova, 30+ miles away.

https://abc11.com/water-rescue-outer-banks-obx/3408956/

We vacation in OBX but now that we have two young kids (1 and 4), I watch my kids like a hawk.