Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes, i know. I don't really have a good answer.

You don't have a good answer of why you choose to continue taking your young kids to an unsafe beach??? OK...

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely spread awareness about rare dangers like this. Perhaps some other families can avoid this happening to them.

But at the same time, it is infuriating that some people take freak accidents as a time to scold or mock grieving parents. Probably because they don’t want to believe that a tragedy could happen to them over a mistake. Reminds me of the things people say after kids are accidentally left in cars and die from heat, or the freak alligator attack at Disney world, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes, i know. I don't really have a good answer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have warnings in beaches about it.

Warnings about sharks, riptides, jellyfish, and collapsing sand in holes.

There absolutely should be warning signs.

And lifeguards should actually stop people from digging large holes. People fall into them at night and early AM while exercising, seriously injuring themselves because they don't see the holes. It's actually a big issue in places like the Outer Banks where lots of tourists come from inland locations or just don't know any better.

Such a senseless and preventable tragedy.

Anonymous wrote:

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:

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.