Drama at the Beach

The day after hurricane Earl brushed the coast of Maine leaving little more, along the southern shore, than a spectacular sea. Surfers gloried in the huge well spaced breakers...at York Beach they looked liked ants on a cake frosting. The water, so I was told, was warm (for Maine) being close to 70-degrees enticing swimmers to interact with the surfers.



After work, I walked Wells Beach. The tide was advancing and shrinking the beach forcing bathers to move their blankets, chairs and toys above the high tide marks. It was becoming crowded in some areas and I found myself dodging tossed foot balls, walking around impromptu soccer and volley ball courts and being careful not to damage (or break an ankle avoiding) a miriad of sandcastles with generous protective moats. Rip tides have been a source of concern for the life guards for most of the summer and the storm stirred sea enhanced their ferocity. Portions of the beach, especially close to areas of submerged rock, have be cordoned off by the life guards during critical tide stages. As I turned at the jetty and headed back down the beach a lifeguard carrying one of their larger than surfboard floats charged into the surf on his way to either warn or rescue a surfer who was a little too far from shore. Continuing my walk, I noticed a person who was an alarming distance from shore who seemed to be trying to get back but was thwarted by the huge waves. Others started to notice this person as well and people were standing in groups keeping watch. There being no lifeguards in the area, it wasn't long before a couple of police officers rushed into the surf and tried to swim toward the apparently troubled person but could not get beyond the crashing breakers. Eventually, a lifeguard arrived with one of his "miracle" boards and expertly traversed the surf to where the person was floundering. Loading the person onto his board, the lifeguard started swimming parallel to the shore (I recently read that to escape a rip tide, one should do this until getting beyond the turbulance before heading for shore). At the moment when the lifequard reached the person in trouble applause broke out all along the beach and even though the rescued and rescuer were too far out to hear, it was like one huge sigh of relief and thanksgiving.