Another day in paradise

Locals and transplants (like us) sometimes joke about the tourists who run into trouble here. We like to believe that it is their "tourist-ness" that somehow puts them at risk and therefore we don't face these same risks. Usually, we can identify something we would know to avoid. We know not to drive our rental convertible to areas that aren't haole/tourist-friendly, alone, taking pictures. We know not to turn our backs on the ocean if we're on a ledge. We like to think that we'll recognize a riptide before we hit it or if we do, we know what we are supposed to do. (Granted, with the sharkbites it is harder to point to mistakes. None of these victims were trailing chum behind them or anything. But these attacks are extremely rare considering how many people go in the water here every day -- it's a gamble, sure, but the numbers are in our favor.)

I am sobered, however, by our most recent tragedy: a "real" person to me, a member of the history department faculty at UNM and someone I liked and respected. He was here to attend the Pacific Coast Branch of the AHA 2007 conference. He drowned yesterday trying to help his 12-year-old son who was in distress (the son is currently in the hospital). The surf conditions were 2-4 feet and the winds were quite strong yesterday. Yes, being unfamiliar with local conditions and going in the water where there are no lifeguards certainly increases the chances that something could go badly. Likely, as with most accidents, it could have been avoided. But he wasn't just some idiot -- he was a responsible, intelligent, and reasonably fit man. (He was a dedicated bike commuter so I always thought he was great.)

I'll just say: this is a lot harder to dismiss.

And I think I'll be restricting my joking to sharkbites in the future.