Today I would like to acknowledge the excellent Outer Banks lifeguards that work diligently to keep everyone safe during their beach vacations. This weekend the OBX water was warm and beautiful.  And even better?  The waves were large, bringing out the surfers and body boarders.  With this surf came some expected churning, pulling and currents. I was on our Ocean Sands beach swimming with my nine year old daughter and her friend.  Near us was a watchful mother with several young children at the water’s edge.  One of the Currituck County lifeguards was driving his four wheeler down the beach and stopped to read the water in front of her. After sittin...

Parents, please watch your children and respect the dangers of the ocean.  If you could see what I see weekly on the beach, you would understand my frustration. It is the first week of June and I have already seen two incidents during a single weekend that could have ended in tragedy.  The first involved a family who rented a yellow ocean kayak for the week.  The father allowed his 12 year old son to go in the kayak first without a thought to the freezing water temperatures.  The boy paddled out far enough that no one would have been able to swim to him if he needed help. After floating around a bit he started back towards the shore.  When he reached the s...