I’d originally planned to post this tune earlier — it’s part of the set that Sticks did with the Gordon Goodwin/CSUN workshop earlier this month, but I forgot about it. Then tonight I received an email from my mother, letting me know that my stepfather’s mother passed away this morning. She was a wonderful lady, married over 60 years to the same man, full of zing and life and vigor. She was Texas through-and-through, and good people. (No one will ever make peach and cherry cobbler the way she did, either.) She was one of those people that was just happy and down-to-earth and a life-lover.

So, in honor of her, and without sadness (because she wouldn’t like that one bit), here’s a tune to send her off to Heaven….where she will be free of all of the suffering she endured at the end. She’s had a great life; we’re the poorer for her passing.

Edna, rest in peace while Sticks plays you up the 7 Steps to Heaven.

Last year I told you about my friend Sandee and the tragic drowning of her husband, CNN Reporter Larry LaMotte. I asked Sandee if she would like to post a message directly to the blog in tribute to Larry. The following is what she asked me to post. Today is a difficult day for her. Despite the passage of time, some anniversaries never become less painful. I know that if even one of you is more careful and takes her story into account, she will feel a little less pain. I love you Sandee, and miss Larry, too.

Sandee’s Message:

June 8, 2007. Four years ago today a rip current took my husband’s life.

It plays in my head like a movie. It was about 6 pm Florida time. I had just left Larry and the kids playing on a boogie board in the waves at the shoreline, walked the 100 yards from the beach and was washing lettuce at the sink when the kids burst in the front door of the cottage.

“Mommy, Mommy! Ryan couldn’t get his boogie board to come forward and Daddy went in to help and now Daddy’s gone!”

By the time I got to the beach Larry was dead. Floating face down in the waves. It took 20 agonizing minutes and the life of another before Larry’s body was rescued. Yes, another father, Ken Brindley, also lost his life to the rip current trying to help Larry. He left behind a loving wife and two small children. Somehow that is the hardest thing for me to face.

Here’s the catch: this wasn’t a freak accident. Six more people died that day in the rip currents along the Florida panhandle. Most of them drowned before Larry, the kids, and I set foot on the beach that day.

Why We Didn’t Know

Why didn’t we know there was danger? We were ignorant of rip currents. We lived inland, as most beach vacationers do, and our experience with water was the occasional boat on the lake or dip in the neighborhood swimming pool.

One of the women who drowned in Destin that day was actually a pool lifeguard. Rip currents are different, and if you don’t know how to face them, you can be an Olympic swimmer and still die battling the current.

There were no warnings. Contrary to what Walton County officials said at the time (this occurred at Grayton Beach, Florida, in Walton County, voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the nation), there were no bullhorns, no sheriff deputies pulling people out of the water — in fact the one deputy on the scene at 4 pm calmly drove past the crowd of bodies in the water and off the beach. There was a red flag, but the warning was obscure: “Red means there could be dangerous currents in the water.” No indication that currents occur at the shoreline and can suck you out to the depths within seconds. We looked across the crowds and decided the warnings were for the silly surfers riding those distant waves.

There were no lifeguards either. There are now, after an ABC 20/20 story by investigative reporter Brian Ross ran in July of 2005. Finally, an embarrassed Walton County decided to put lifeguards on five of their many beaches. Only five, but it’s a start. Last year lifeguard director Gary Wise and his small crew rescued 21, assisted over 400, and educated over 50,000 on the dangers of rip currents.

But there have been more deaths. Two more drowned this year near Grayton Beach (which still doesn’t have a lifeguard, but that’s another story). And here is the moral of my story:

Don’t swim where there are no lifeguards. It’s not the sharks that will get you, it’s the currents. Consider these facts from the U.S. Lifeguard Association:

• Rip currents kill over 100 people a year — a toll that puts them ahead of lightning (66) and hurricanes (17). Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.
• More than 80 percent of all lifesaving rescues reported each year by the U.S. Lifesaving Association are a result of people caught in rip currents.
• USLA statistics indicate that the chance of death by drowning at a beach protected by lifeguards is 1 in 18 million.

Next, educate yourselves. Teach your children too. In most cases, simple actions such as not panicking, not fighting the current and swimming parallel to the beach would have enabled the victims to save themselves. In fact, that’s exactly how an educated bystander helped my Ryan get safely out of the water. But by then Larry was far out in the waves, and he did not know the USLA’s basics of rip current survival:

• Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Never fight against the current.
• Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you need to step to the side of.
• Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle–away from the current–towards shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.

.

The USLA also stresses that if you see someone in a rip current, don’t go in after them, because you (like Ken Brindley) could become a victim too. Instead:

• Get help from a lifeguard.
• If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1.
• Throw the rip current victim something that floats–a lifejacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball.
• Yell instructions on how to escape.
• Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

Please, share this with everyone you know. Educate everyone about how to survive a rip, but more than that, seek out lifeguards. Don’t swim without them, and if your favorite vacation spot doesn’t provide them, demand they do. It’s your life on the line, and it’s their responsibility to protect it.

.

Technorati Tags: water safety, rip currents, Larry LaMotte, lifeguards, beach safety, summer

Technorati Tags: canon s3

Died 1/27/2005. From Oxnard, CA

When Kevin M. Luna prepared to return home on visits, he would tell friends to have a list of projects that he could help them accomplish when he arrived. “All I did was mention to him that we wanted a koi pond, and before he left, we had us a koi pond,” said one family friend, Susan Gauntt. “He was just a great guy.” Luna, 26, of Oxnard, Calif., died of non-combat injuries on Jan. 17 while serving in Iraq. He was stationed at Vilseck, Germany. Luna’s parents, Teresa and Robert Luna, said they were told their son died in an accident that is still under investigation but they had no other details. Luna, who played football in high school, joined the Army in 1999. He decided to re-enlist for another four years while serving in Iraq, his father said. “He felt that it was a way to help people out,” Robert Luna said. “He wanted to serve his country.” Luna is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and a son.

Rest in peace, Private Luna. Your country is grateful.

More obituaries of lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan here.

Technorati Tags: tribute, memorial, Iraq casualties, Fallujah

Betty and Doug Arceneaux loved their home. After Doug retired, they decided to spend $34,000 on home renovations because their St. Bernard parish home was the center of their lives.

The Arceneauxs had a routine, and it revolved around their home.

“They got up every morning, read the paper, drank coffee, watched the news,” Douglas said. “And then Mom would cook breakfast and do chores inside the house. And Dad would work outside. They would have dinner at 6, and then Mom would do the laundry.”

Because of concerns about looting, the Arceneauxs remained in their home during Hurricane Katrina, inviting friends of theirs who lived in a trailer in a low-lying area to take refuge with them.

All four were found dead in their attic after the storm.

Rest in peace, Betty and Douglas Arceneaux. My heart goes out to your son, Doug. I’m glad he had the opportunity to tell you he loved you and you him before they were taken.

Their full obituary is here. More Katrina obituaries are here.

Technorati Tags: hurricane katrina, victim, tribute, memorial

In honor of today’s 5th anniversary of 9/11, over 3,000 bloggers are paying personal tribute to the 2,996 victims who died in the attacks.

Lee, Drama Queen’s Momma, Liz and some of the Bloghers are participating.

It is a powerful tribute. Almost overwhelming. Seeing images and histories of the firefighters, office workers, policemen, and others who perished is heart-rending. These tributes will be posted on blogs and linked by more and I hope the result is comfort for their grieving families and friends.

Everything I wrote above is sincere. Please do not take offense at what I’m about to say next.

The tribute is incomplete.

As of this writing, at least 2,916 coalition troops have lost their lives in Iraq. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. American, British, Italian, Ukrainian, Australian, Slovakian. The list goes on and on.

If we are going to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, we cannot stop there. Tribute should be paid to those who have been sent to fight a war based upon false pretenses for which support is stirred and approval ratings gained with each passing anniversary of 9/11.

The war in Iraq is not a war on terror. It never was. Yet always at this time of year, we are sold lie after lie about how this war was started and continues to protect our national security.

Let’s remember every one of the dead in Iraq. And Afghanistan. At least 337 Americans and 27 Canadians have been lost there. Operation Enduring Freedom at least had roots in the goal of ending or reducing terrorism, but after the attention shift to Iraq, Afghanistan has been given up as mostly lost. Let’s remember those who gave their lives in the cause of rooting out terrorists (terrorists that WE, the US, created — never underestimate the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”).

And while we’re at it, do we have a count of those who lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina last year? They were victims, too. The most recent count I found was at the Washington Post on May 20th: 1577 lives lost. Perhaps there is no list of names because they are still actively searching for bodies? Margaret Saizan (Beyond Katrina) reports that Columbia University is trying to compile a complete list. This is the list from the Louisiana Department of Health, last updated 2/23/2006.

As remembrances of the 9/11 victims are posted on the web, please also remember those brave members of the military who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and continue to fight for what could be best called a murky cause (but do so because they are brave and they serve their country, which means serving the ones in charge), and those who lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina, whether or not their names are known.

Update: New Orleans artist Elizabeth Underwood has created her tribute.

Technorati Tags: 911, 2996, 911 memorial, Hurricane Katrina victims, Iraq casualties, Afghanistan casualties, war on terror, war in iraq

My phone rang at 7:00 am on June 9, 2003. Half awake, I muttered an epithet about how people really should check the clock before calling so early and rather grumpily barked a “HELLO?” into the phone.

The caller was Sandee LaMotte, a good friend from my CNN days. When the Eldest had gone off to the Army and was stationed in Georgia I’d had the privilege of being Sandee and her husband Larry’s (a long-time CNN reporter — one of the original CNNers…) guest at their home in Atlanta. Without saying hello back, she said three words that I will never forget.

“Larry drowned yesterday.”

My response was incredibly banal. “WHAT?”

She repeated herself, and even today, it’s hard to believe.

On June 8, 2003, Larry Lamotte drowned in a rip current at Grayton Beach, off the coast of Florida. He was one of nine people who drowned on Florida beaches that weekend. Here is Sandee’s account of that day in her own words.

Larry Lamotte was a wonderful man. He was funny, articulate, a rabid sports fan, and one of the most interesting people to talk to that I’ve ever known. He had stories from all of his travels and time as a CNN correspondent that were so interesting and fun! Mostly he was a gentleman, a Southern gentleman with a knack for making the best smoked turkey I’ve ever had or ever will have again. Larry was the kind of guy who sends people home from a visit with an entire smoked turkey for their family because…well, because he was just a wonderful person.

He died saving his son Ryan, just 2 years younger than Sticks, from being caught in the current.

Yesterday a 17-year old boy celebrating his upcoming high school graduation was drowned in a rip current at Huntington Beach. His friend was nearly drowned, too, but lifeguards were able to rescue him.

Huntington Beach is a lifeguarded beach. These boys were between 2 lifeguard stands. The boy who was rescued was in 2-4 feet of water. The boy who drowned had been carried out by the current. I do not know if either one knew how to swim but in California there aren’t many who don’t, so I’ll assume they had at least basic skills.

Since Larry’s death, Sandee has lobbied tirelessly for lifeguards on beaches and heightened awareness of beach safety in his memory.

If you take nothing away from this entry, take this:

Rip Currents do not have to kill people.

If you go to the beach this summer, please take a few minutes to learn some basic principles of beach and water safety so that if you or someone you are with is caught in a rip current, you’ll know what to do.

When you are at the beach:

• Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach.
• Never swim alone.
• Learn how to swim in the surf. It’s not the same as swimming in a pool or lake.
• Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out.
• Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards. Lifeguards are trained to identify potential hazards. Ask a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the water. This is part of their job.
• Stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties. Permanent rip currents often exist along side these structures.
• Consider using polarized sunglasses when at the beach. They will help you to spot signatures of rip currents by cutting down glare and reflected sunlight off the ocean’s surface.
• Pay especially close attention to children and elderly when at the beach. Even in shallow water, wave action can cause loss of footing.

If you are caught in a rip current, you need to:

• Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Never fight against the current.
• Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you need to step to the side of.
• Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle–away from the current–towards shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.

If you see someone caught in a rip current,

• Get help from a lifeguard.
• If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1.
• Throw the rip current victim something that floats–a lifejacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball.
• Yell instructions on how to escape.
• Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

courtesy National Weather Service “Rip Current Tips”

I miss Larry. But I’m glad that Sandee has been so tireless in getting the word out about beach safety and the importance of lifeguards on beaches. Though she has not succeeded at getting lifeguards placed on Grayton Beach yet, other beaches do have lifeguards now, in large part because of her efforts to educate and advocate for safer beaches so that others do not suffer as her family has suffered.

Related Pages:

• Hal Eisner Remembers Larry LaMotte
• Break the Grip of the Rip!
• Surf Zone Forecast
• 20/20 Report (Brian Ross) Dangerous Currents Stalk Florida Panhandle

Please be careful on the beaches. Remember Sandee and her kids and take the little bit of time to stay safe and be aware on the beach, so that she can say at least Larry’s death helped others.

In Memoriam: Larry LaMotte

Technorati Tags: rip currents, Larry LaMotte, beach safety, water safety, drowning

In memory of CG Hayes
8/28/1896-6/1/1971

May 31st and June 1st are days we don’t forget in my family. Even after 35 years, there’s still the memory of what one man inflicted on our family with his random, senseless, impulsive act of violence.

If there is anything that could vindicate the crime, even after all this time, it would be for states to abandon the idea of killing criminals, even criminals who commit crimes like this.

Technorati Tags: crime, murder, death penalty