MAN DROWNS IN OC WHILE TOURISTS VIDEO TAPE

[Proheat]

I read this article on a local site- A man was trying to recsue his two sons who were caught in a rip current and a parasail boat spotted him. The tourists on the boat video taped the fathers death instead of helping him.
Very sad news................two children are fatherless now.

Here is the article and link:
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=598&sid=1198642


July 24, 2007 - 3:32pm

OCEAN CITY, Md. - A man who drowned trying to save his two sons trapped in a rip current could have been helped by tourists passing by from a parasailing trip, according to a captain who jumped in to save the boys.

Police say 38-year-old Renald Charles of Fruitland died Sunday while attempting to rescue his sons, 10 and 13. The boys and their father were spotted by Michael Andrew, owner of a 31-foot boat that was taking tourists to shore from a parasailing trip.

Andrew and one of his crew members jumped in, but the tourists videotaped the drowning instead of helping Charles, Andrew told The (Salisbury) Daily Times.

"I mean, c'mon, who are these people?" Andrew said

Barry Neeb, Ocean City Police Department spokesman, said the boys were sucked into the swirling waters beyond the north jetty. Both boys survived.

Beach Patrol Capt. Melborne "Butch" Arbin said an autopsy was pending for their father, who showed signs of cardiac arrest.

"I just feel so sorry for those kids," Andrew said.

It was Ocean City's second drowning of the season. Last month, a 19-year-old Lanham man drowned after being carried off shore by a rip current.


Information from The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times

[Squidnation]

Prayers for the kids. On another note. This is another place to thank the good people of the USCG. These guys take their job exrtemely seriously and are crushed by these types of losses. We were towed in by the CG on that same day. During the routine inspection the Captain of the CG cutter 47 seemed very cordial but stoic and down. He then apologized to me for his demeanor. He said they had had a very bad day and lost a person in a drowning. It was that man that they could not save. He also told me they had 7 rescues that day due to do the NE blow and the rip currents.

[Randy Stinchcomb]

So Sad and disgusting too

[MikeFisher]

those video taping guys should get punished, at least their names should be spread out in the news so everybody knows what big men they are.;
really sorry for those kids growing up with out their father who tried to rescue them.
i have 3 myself, 4-6and 12 yrs old.
an adult with it's life jacket on who's watching somebody dying in the water without trying to help should get shot right away.

[BM3BANDIT]

THATS HORRIBLE

[PHILLYFISHING]

you have to be kidding me right.. how can you sit there and tape.. did they want to be on the news.. i mean yeah even if they didn't know how to save someone from the water they should have atleast helped the captain out with the 2 kids and his mate.. i know its not the same but its like the last seinfeld show.. these people should be punished.. i wouldn't even be able to live with my self after this

[captcl]

I was under the impression that you should assist in any way possible. That's the way the Coasties broadcast it on the radio. Video taping is not assisting!
Squidnation i'm glad you made it back ok. The coasties here in the "season" are really maxed out. The rip warnings go out but you just can't keep everyone out the water. The USCG, the beach patol/guards and the locals here dread these accidents and losses and work hard at preventing them.
It's so very sad and the impact on the family is immeasurable. My prayers to those children.

[LuckyLady]

Kinda amazing how people lack common sense!

Last weekend a man dropped his wife and maybe his daughter off at the dock on a little zodiac boat and bumped in to one of the boats on his way out and fell out of the boat, clinging to the pilon and the back of the boat with the engine running.

His wife just stood and watched as we ran past her to jump on the boat to try to help him and didn't move from where she was dropped off.

Me personally I would of knocked someone out of the way or fell in the water trying just to help!

[RUGGERDUDE]

Very sad story...poor kids seeing there father lost like that. Two things really bother me about this story after reading the article. First is the fact that these kids won't grow up with a man who obviously knew what it truly meant to be courageous. I think we all agree that he did what a father is supposed to do and is a hero for attempting to save his kids. Secondly, these kids learned a lesson about society today and how many cowards there are in the world that we live in. I'm sure none of us have a death wish but that was someone's husband, father and son....he deserved help from atleast 1 person on that boat while the Captain and crewmember were saving the kids. This didn't need to happen IMO
Will