A Death In Rodanthe

One day after Hurricane Jose delivered some of the best surf the Outer Banks has seen in years, a 66-year-old man was found unconscious, still attached to his surfboard, just north of Rodanthe. As reported by local news, the man, whose name has not yet been released, was given CPR but could not be revived. He was pronounced dead on the scene by the National Park Service. The cause of death remains unknown.

As we’ve been reminded all-too-often as of late, nature is a cruel and incredibly powerful force. In recent weeks, we’ve seen two major earthquakes in Mexico (and hundreds dead), three major hurricanes in the US and Caribbean (with a death toll that remains widely undocumented, on account of damage to roads and communication), and two people killed surfing the waves these storms created.

 Oliver Kurtz, Outer Banks. 

Is there really such a thing as “going out how they would have wanted?” Surely a that’s small consolation to the friends of Zander Venezia, or this unidentified lost soul in North Carolina.

I can’t say be careful, because there is no being careful in the ocean. I can’t say surf within your limits, because how do we know our limits if we don’t occasionally push them? I can’t say you shouldn’t paddle out in a hurricane swell, because it’s the best part of being an east coast surfer. I can’t say anything that wouldn’t come off as extremely hypocritical or stupid, so I’ll say this:

My deepest condolences to anyone affected by Irma, Jose, or Maria in the past few weeks, and to the families dealing with loss. You’re in our thoughts.