Friday, September 15, 2006

in memory of Amy

We all missed you in rehearsal last night.   It was raining part of yesterday -- maybe it was sunny and warm down at the ocean.    May you have had a wonderful day, at least died happy.   I'm not clear, perhaps your dad was out there with you, or perhaps he saw you get caught by the riptide and tried to save you.   M says that she cannot imagine being your mother on the shore, watching you go under.....  not that we know that your mother was right there or where there.

M didn't get to spend much time with you until dance camp this summer, and at the Open House and such, even if she also knew you from previous performances when all the studios would get their troupes together.   Yeah, Ma filled your spot last night for the drummin' piece  -- she knows you're always there so wasn't upset that you didn't show like she can get with others, not having heard the news yet.

Yes, may you stay dancing, may your life have been a good one, just a mere 15 years.  Life can be so short sometimes.   May none of us take our moments for granted.

I told M that I sure pray that she's safe, too, but I do wish her to enjoy life, so I let her ride horses, and try things.   She reminded me that cross country riding is the second most dangerous sport...... yeah, gee, thanks.  

Maybe the water was still warm enough yesterday for you, maybe it was fun and giggles there for a while, not too crowded.   I hope so:)  

Huge condolences for your mother, and your sisters.  I cannot even fathom what your mother is going through right now.   I'm so sorry, Amy.   Riptides can be deadly things.   I really, really wish it wasn't so.

Columbia man, daughter drown in Ocean City - baltimoresun.com (article below; tried to copy the Washington Post article on this, but it's not working at the moment.

Columbia man, daughter drown in Ocean City

Metro Digest
September 15, 2006

A Columbia man and his 15-year-old daughterdrowned in rough water off the 78th Street beach yesterday evening, according to Ocean City police.

D, 46, and his three teenage daughters were swimming about 6 p.m. A witness told of the group being drawn quickly into deeper water, said Pfc. Barry Neeb, a police spokesman.

His 17-year-old daughter was able to swim to shore, while another girl, 13, floated on her back and was rescued by an off-duty beach patrol officer, said Neeb, who did not have the names of the two girls.

The father was on his way back to shore when he realized his 15-year-old, Amy, was still out there and turned around, Neeb said. A U.S. Coast Guard vessel pulled them from the water after both lost consciousness, he said.

They were taken to a Coast Guard station and paramedics took them to Atlantic General Hospital, where D was pronounced dead on arrival and Amy, died an hour later, Neeb said.

(Updated to remove some identifying items.)

3 comments:

  1. so sad my heart and prayers go out to her mom and sisters!

    Sharon

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  2. Thanks, Sharon, it is tragic!   M's dance troupe didn't perform at a festival last Saturday, tho the other senior troupe for her school did.   I'm glad the family is  receiving lots of support.   It's got to be unbelievably hard to handle, and I wonder how their future will go, too, as the mom was staying at home homeschooling the then 6 girls, now 5.  -- Robin

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  3. I remember reading about this in the morning paper and tears weeling up in my eyes. i couldn't help but ask, where the hell was the lifeguard? That place makes a ton of money off us Marylanders, the least they can do is give a crap about safety through September and not act as though people stop swimming on Labor Day. Sad.

    http://journals.aol.com/ravenjuiced/those-eyes-that-the-cherubim-dre/

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