Dad dies trying to save kids swept away by wave at North Carolina beach: Police

[Ocean Flames]

Originally Posted by iknowftbll

I didn't see anything about the man being unable to swim. He had already rescued one child, and maybe was already exhausted by the time he went for the second. I don't see where the criticism of letting his kids near the water is coming from either. There are definitely risks but millions of people go to the beach every year without incident. The thing about the ocean is things sometimes happen fast. One second the water is okay and the next a wave comes and knocks a kid off a jetty. This dad did what dads do: he went after his kids. It's a tragic story enough as it is. There's really no need to make judgmental "armchair" QB type comments about how the man shouldn't have been supervising kids that close to the water.

Thank you for saying this. I’m astounded at the first thing out of many folks mouths is “he should’ve,” without even being there to see exactly what happened or knowing anything about the father except that he drowned while trying to save his child.

As others have stated the ocean can become extremely dangerous even for the most experienced swimmers. It would be nice to see less judgement and more sympathy as this was truly a tragedy for this family.

[TMBGBlueCanary]

Originally Posted by Ocean Flames

Thank you for saying this. I’m astounded at the first thing out of many folks mouths is “he should’ve,” without even being there to see exactly what happened or knowing anything about the father except that he drowned while trying to save his child.

As others have stated the ocean can become extremely dangerous even for the most experienced swimmers. It would be nice to see less judgement and more sympathy as this was truly a tragedy for this family.

All the "he should'ves" probably flew out the door for him when he saw his children in distress. It's one thing to be an armchair critic after the fact, it's another to be in that situation, see your child dying and say you wouldn't have reacted on emotion and paternal instinct. I bet most fathers would have done the same thing. It's sad although I later read that both children lived, someone was able to save the second child. So at least he was successful in what he wanted to do: Save his kids.

[movedtothecoast]

Originally Posted by Ocean Flames

Thank you for saying this. I’m astounded at the first thing out of many folks mouths is “he should’ve,” without even being there to see exactly what happened or knowing anything about the father except that he drowned while trying to save his child.

As others have stated the ocean can become extremely dangerous even for the most experienced swimmers. It would be nice to see less judgement and more sympathy as this was truly a tragedy for this family.

The children walked out on a jetty made of big boulders
and that is not allowed . The waves come in very big and powerful
across this jetty and must be how the children were swept off the jetty.

There is a sign to not go out there but even without a sign
it is clear to see that no one should go out there so
yes I do understand that some people are critical of the family
not keeping and eye on their seven children.

I do feel for them and understand their pain but this jetty is
not a place to let your children play.

[Old Gringo]

Sad and tragic, yet noble.

[LesLucid]

Originally Posted by Lodestar 77

Are parents getting more lenient with their kids, or less "parental" (not saying "No", or "Get away from that water/get back over here") or just more "ignant" of situations? Why are these kids that need rescuing so close to the water, or in the water at all, let alone when the weather/wind/waves kicks up? Bodies of water are nothing to mess with...........

My sympathies to the families who have lost a father and loved one in this situation.

People sometimes just do thoughtless things. I was taking pics over at Great Falls on the Virginia side some years ago. Several people/year die there on average. The rocks get slippery from the mist and people ignore warnings. I saw a guy walk out onto this rock plateau with his daughter. She looked like she had just come from church, pink dress, shiny black shoes and she walks right over to the edge of the rock platform. There’s a narrow channel of relatively smooth water rushing through just inches from her. It doesn’t look threatening but it will literally take your shoe off your foot if you stick it in, if it doesn’t just drag you in bodily. I was getting ready to walk over and verbally ream the guy when they both turned around and headed back. I would liked to have smacked him across the face. She could have been just gone in half a second.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.or...u-will-die5897

[otterhere]

Aren't there usually signs warning people to stay off the jetties for just this reason? Were there any here? Anyone know?

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by TMBGBlueCanary

I don't think a lot of people realize how dangerous it is to be on or near a jetty in the ocean. Kid's especially.The beaches I go to have signs, flags, and if they are guarded, lifeguards will make sure no one is on or within 50 or so feet of a jetty.

T

I live in a beach town on the east coast. The jetty is not off limits, people routinely walk on them, life guards don’t wave people away, there is no signage and so on. Not all jetty’s are the same (in fact most people don’t even know what a jetty is), it was entirely possible that this family was hit by a rogue wave.

[ClaraC]

Originally Posted by lkb0714

I live in a beach town on the east coast. The jetty is not off limits, people routinely walk on them, life guards don’t wave people away, there is no signage and so on. Not all jetty’s are the same (in fact most people don’t even know what a jetty is), it was entirely possible that this family was hit by a rogue wave.

Same here. In the Texas Gulf Coast, jettys are used for fishing/strolling all the time.

In Port Aransas the jetties are there also to create the canal for the ships, but they've always got fishermen and beach goers on them, and it's encouraged.

I wonder if they need to rename this thing, that doesn't look at all like a jetty to me, more like a dam.

In searching google for Wrightsville Beach Jetty, you see warning after warning going back a decade to stay off it. Maybe they should do something to actually make it inaccessible? A fencing around each edge?

[TMBGBlueCanary]

Originally Posted by lkb0714

I live in a beach town on the east coast. The jetty is not off limits, people routinely walk on them, life guards don’t wave people away, there is no signage and so on. Not all jetty’s are the same (in fact most people don’t even know what a jetty is), it was entirely possible that this family was hit by a rogue wave.

To be fair, it may depend on the type of jetty if you are allowed to walk on it or not. As this story illustrates, being in the water near any jetty is dangerous because of the currents (even the ones you are allowed to walk on because if you fall off, you are in the water and at the mercy of the ocean).

Look at the jetty this family was near, it's slippery and dangerous and it was partially submerged when the kids were walking on it according to articles about the event. Plus, it is one of the ones you are NOT allowed to be on (but people complained there are not enough warning signs/the warnings aren't clear enough).

Like I said, the jetties where I go to the beach, near where I live are rock jetties that are also very uneven and slippery and often end up submerged during high tide. You can't really even "walk" on them, you'd have to balance and crawl and hope not to slip in. They are also very clearly marked with signs and huge red flags.

[Charlie&Rose]

Originally Posted by Old Gringo

Sad and tragic, yet noble.

Noble? These are his children. What parent wouldn`t do the same?