Rescue......

I came home this evening to a coast guard helicopter circling, and a Coast guard boat going up and down the coast quite close in, I assumed like so many nights that they were out doing a drill. Then I saw all the emergency vehicles driving up and down the beach and realized that this was no dril, it was a real rescue situation. My neighbors called me to ask if I'd heard what was going on and I called a friend who's husband is a local volunteer firefighter and found that someone had lost a child to the surf. After more than 4 hours I realized that it probably wasn't a rescue. The coast guard continued the search for 4 1/2 hours and our local volunteers are still out riding up and down the beach slowly scanning the surf with binoculars.

I know I'll hear the whole story tomorrow on the news and in the papers, but it's heart wrenching to watch and to know the suffering the family is going through. This is the first time in my almost 11 years at Heceta Beach that I've ever seen something like this. But it's summer and the beaches are packed with people. I watched 6 unattended children under the age of 10 play in the surf while the full search was going on... The ocean while somewhat tame in the summer, is always really dangerous. Just 2 days ago I had warned my current guests and their young daughter about it.

Thanks to our volunteers who go out for long hours to help in these horrible situations. The sun is about an hour from setting and it appears that they are going to stay out till it gets dark. My thoughts are with the family of the lost child!!!