Sanibel Days Aren't Always Perfect

Today was in the lower 90's and partly cloudy.  I don't have much to share today.  We went for a drive around the island and then out to Captiva.  There were big fluffy clouds around, and a few darker clouds that went right on past us.  There were some people fishing at Blind Pass as we crossed the bridge going onto Captiva Island.

On the Gulf side, I saw some sun worshipers and shellers as we crossed the bridge on the way back to Sanibel.

We drove out to the Sanibel Causeway to see how crowded it was, since it is Labor Day weekend.

My photos don't really show how many cars and people were there.  Remember all those new picnic tables?  They were all full and a lot more tables that people brought with them, along with tents for shade.

I saw some cute little sailboats with bright colored sails.  I had never seen these kind before.  There were 4 or 5 of them.

Now for the upsetting part of the day.....


A man drowned off Lighthouse Beach, today in the early afternoon.  He was pulled from the water by Sanibel Fire and Rescue with the help of several bystanders.   It was believed that he had been floating in the water for at least 20 minutes.  There had been reports of rip currents in the area, but it isn't known if that could have been the cause.  The man was possibly in his 60's


Just a couple of weeks ago a 14 year old boy, had been swimming with his family and friends, before strong currents pulled him under. He was rescued from the water near the B span of the Sanibel Causeway, but later died at the hospital.

Remember how quickly accidents can happen, no matter how well you swim.  It's best to wear a life jacket when you are out in open water.  Don't depend on inflatable toys to keep your children safe, they can still go under water and possibly drown.  Never swim alone.  Keep an eye on everyone in your group, make sure you know where they are at all times.  Don't loose sight of your children; it only takes 20 seconds for a child to drown and 60 seconds for an adult.  We all think these things could ever happen to us, but they do.  There have been over 200 reports of near drownings in Florida, just Saturday alone.  I know we all probably think we know the rules of safety that apply to swimming.  But I really didn't know that much about rip currents.  We should all take time to read ocean safety tips from NOAA, if only to refresh our memory.  Be safe.