Good evening,
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I have a story to share with you from last night's sunset at La Côte.
As the waves rolled in with consistency, we noticed a few surfers, some of whom appeared to be less experienced, out near Belza. Among them was one individual who seemed to be quite far from shore. While others seemed unconcerned from where we were, we decided to keep an eye on him. Over the course of a few minutes, he drifted further away, struggling to paddle against the strong current.
With darkness approaching rapidly and the cloudy evening obscuring visibility, we decided to give a call to emergency services (112 — note that number) to report the situation despite the surfer not actively signaling for help. After a lengthy explanation of the circumstances with 3 different interlocutors, they dispatched a rescue team. It was so dark we couldn’t even see them in the water anymore, but after some long minutes, they finally all appeared on the beach, guiding themselves through the lights of some powerful flashlights.
During this process, we couldn't help but feel a mix of certainty and doubt. Especially when the guy on the phone told us they were sending a helicopter and a boat in addition to the rescue team already here. We had no way of knowing if the surfer was truly in distress or simply waiting for a big, dark, nightly set. Just because, from our sight, he wasn’t trying to warn anyone (not saying he wasn’t).
We woke up this morning to read a news article detailing a surfer's rescue with the help of an Helicopter (that actually never came) around 10 pm at La Côte stuck out back and not managing to come back to shore. Reflecting on this, it's hard not to consider the possibility of a different, and potentially tragic, outcome.
This experience serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of looking out for one another, both in and out of the water. As people living or spending time near the ocean, it's our collective responsibility to keep an eye on each other and be ready to offer assistance when needed. On the other side, it's equally important for individuals to feel comfortable asking for help in such situations. It can be challenging to determine if someone is in trouble from the coastline, especially during the evening or when visibility is limited.
For some reason, I felt a bit angry today as I captured images of surfers having a lot of fun and others struggling to make it back to shore with the tide rising rapidly in those consistent conditions.
Summer is here to stay and I see more and more people going into the ocean with inadequate equipment and limited knowledge of its potential hazards. Let's all do our part to respect its strength and be the most prepared for any situation.
Stay watchful and supportive, and have tons of fun,
TT
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