Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Oh ... no ...

Coast Guard plane ... helicopter ... sirens. I think something bad has happened.

10 comments:

Southender said...

When the choppers fly the swimmers usually die. Stay on it. You're ahead of all other news outlets.

Anonymous said...

http://www.newburyportnews.com/breakingnews/x1414114289/One-missing-in-waters-off-Plum-Island-Point

sdsii said...

Hi,

Just heard it fly over again. I've been hearing them all day. It certainly does look like a good sign.

thank,
sds

Gillian Swart said...

I heard from my neighbor (who is a native and knows all the police/firefighters/DPS workers) that there were 9 people and 7 were rescued from a sandbar. Ari is reporting on Facebook that they were swept off the sandbar ... another person listening to police scanner says there is still an 11-y.o. girl missing in the river, or at the mouth of the river (but the tide was coming in). There is still one helicopter flying really low ... there were 2 before. The plane is gone. My neighbor was told they are NOT locals, but I have no real proof of that ...

Gillian Swart said...

David ... does or does NOT...?

sdsii said...

Hi,

Sadly this is a yearly story. For as long as I can remember at least once a season someone goes a bit to far out on the jetty and then the tide doesn't let them back.

I remember walking on the jetty's when I was young, but always mindful of the stories I was told.

I couldn't believe the people that walked out on the sandbar that emerged last year in front of PI.

Some people just have no idea how powerful this river and the ocean are.

thanks,
sds

Gillian Swart said...

@sds, I wouldn't have gone out on that sandbar for love or money ...

macsurf said...

It's an all too familiar story.

I love the ocean. I don't fear it, but I have the utmost respect for Neptune and his potential to be cruel.

My oldest brother drowned 25 years ago this coming July in front of the family beach house at seabrook trying to save his 2 young daughters who got caught in a rip.

My brother was 40. he'd spent EVERY summer of his life up until than on that beach and knew it well.
But still when the Neptune is gnarly and angry, even those of us who think we know him well, can fall prey to his wrath.

I hope they find the girl from Lynn's body because ther could be nothing worse for the family, aside from the actual tragedy of course, than not having a body to bring "home".

A sad, sad, story all the way around.

Gillian Swart said...

Hi Mike, the helicopter has gone now, so I think they must have found her ... so sorry about your brother. I spent most of my life around water, and I've learned that even lakes have to be respected.

But the ocean? Man ... I was taught that you just let it take you, and if it's being merciful that day, it will spit you back out and onto the beach. If not ...

macsurf said...

Gillian, my house in CR is right near a beach known as Playa Cocles.

The rips there are so dangerous that, even with a couple of life guards on the beach that some foreign hotel owners pay for, there are many days, especially between Xmas and the end of February, when I will not even think about entering the ocean there.

The foreign hotel owners are furious with me because I wrote a column for the Tico Times in which I described Playa Cocles as "...one of the most beautiful but most dangerous beaches in the world".

I actually advocated that when the sea is in certain states, the beach should be closed with SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK signs posted everywhere.

There is a ceratin injustice asking Costa Rican life guards who make 2 or 3 dollars an hour to jeopardize their lives on behalf of dumbbell tourists who think because they're on vacation in the Caribbean they have a right to swim in it, regardless of how dangerous it might be.