Just a Regular Guy

[gsmittle]

Read this this morning: Little League Coach Meets Tragic End

All I can say is, "Wow."

g.

[Stytooner]

The beaches around here usually fly a red flag when there are strong rip currents. Unfortunately, not all even know the meaning of them and those that do don't always heed the warnings. It happens quite often that those just wanting to have fun succumb to these currents. I have felt that pull before and it can be incredibly strong an occur even without warning flags.
He did do the right thing in saving the boys.
He did die a hero for certain. I salute him.

[cabinetman]

Much more than a "regular guy". A very tragic end to a very brave act. Maybe the impact on the young children will make a difference in their lives. Hopefully they won't be hesitant to help either.
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[Uncle Cracker]

The beaches around here are loaded with signs warning about rip tides, and giving instructions on how to act if you get caught in one. Unfortunately, people tend to panic and do the exactly wrong thing: they try to go towards the beach. It's a shame, because we lose people every year, and it doesn't have to happen...

[jackellis]

Georgia Tech used to require freshman to take a course called "drownproofing". It was developed during WW II to help soldiers on ships survive in the water if their ship was hit. Having grown up near the water, I was confident in the pool and on the beach, but this course took things to a whole new level. We had to swim hands tied, feet tied, both tied (to simulate the effects of injuries), and fully clothed. We had to jump off the high dive, which I had always hated. We had to swim 25 yards underwater without surfacing. When I was through, I had a lot more confidence in my survival and swimming abilities.

Every kid should be required to take a course like this. If they did, getting caught in a rip tide would be a lot less intimidating and many fewer people would die as a result. Of course, heeding the warning flags would be a whole lot smarter, but some folks think they're immortal I guess.

[Kristofor]

A sad deal but an upstanding act. I've read the same signs about rip tides when visiting the ocean but I don't know for sure that it would kick in during an emergency. I've also been slammed into the sand awfully darn hard by a big wave (childhood trauma memory) if that happened in deeper water I could see having trouble swimming after the fact until the stun wore off.

It doesn't help from October through April but during the summer I would point out that the local beaches have no poisonous snakes, rip tides, sharks, brain-eating-amoebas, or tar balls... More shoreline than Texas, Florida, California and Hawaii combined... Just doing my part for the local convention and visitors bureau :P