Today we witnessed a very frightening experience while we were at the beach. One that could happen to all of us. We watched a mother and father frantically searching the beach for their 6 year old little girl. She had been last seen walking along the waters edge with her "boogie board". We watched them walk back and forth between several blocks each time passing by without their daughter. The lifeguards were assisting, police were called in and all the while the clock ticked by without this little girl being found. Before long, people up and down the beach were all looking for this little girl. The police were patroling in their vehicles with their loud speakers telling beachgoers a description of little Caroline. Her frantic mother just paced the beach not knowing where to look next as she pans the crowded beach for the 100th time! One and one half hours - no Caroline! Finally the call comes to the lifeguard station that she has been found! As the police returned with their loud speakers announcing that Caroline had been found and was reunited with her parents, those on the beach began to clap!
A couple of thoughts came to mind as this horrible event unfolded in front of us! First, it was truly amazing how perfect stranger all united together to look for a little girl that we didn't even know. People just got up and started to walk around looking for her. As people passed by, not knowing what was happening, others told them and they too began searching. Sometimes we think that this is such a cruel world we live in and while that is true, it was comforting to see the unity. The second thing that I thought was that I can't take for granted that my kids would know what to do if they were unable to locate us on the beach or anywhere. I guess I just assumed that they would know to go to one of the lifeguards stationed nearby but we are not assuming that anymore! I talked to both kids and reminded them that the first place to go is to the lifeguard if they get lost! Needless to say, that will be a common conversation we have each time we walk onto the beach until I'm certain they get it!
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Where had she gone?
Just reading this gives me goose bumps and makes me think of a similar situation I witnessed in a mall. I remember fighting back tears as we helped this mom search frantically for her 5 year old.
So glad both times there were happy endings!
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