A husband and wife from Buford died Tuesday after drowning in Gulf waters near a Destin resort. Rescue teams were able to save their adult son’s life.
What We Know: The couple, ages 57 and 54, were vacationing with their 26-year-old son when all three began struggling in the water about 75 to 100 yards offshore of 1040 U.S. Highway 98. Witnesses spotted the family in distress and a bystander borrowed a boogie board to attempt a rescue.
The Good Samaritan successfully brought the son to shore. Beach safety personnel pulled the mother from the water while Destin Beach Safety and an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit located the father. Emergency responders performed extensive lifesaving measures on both parents, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
What We Don’t Know: The exact cause of the drowning remains unclear. Officials have not released the identities of the family members or specified what led to their distress in the water. The condition of the surviving son has not been disclosed.
In Context: Yellow flags were flying at the beach during the time of the drowning, indicating moderate surf and current conditions. These warnings signal potentially dangerous swimming conditions that require extra caution from beachgoers.
Rip currents and changing surf conditions along the Gulf Coast can quickly overwhelm even experienced swimmers, particularly when multiple people are caught in the same dangerous area.
Take Action: Beachgoers should always check flag conditions before entering the water and stay close to shore when yellow or red flags are posted. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until you escape the current, then swim back to land at an angle.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
