Beach Patrol Tries to Separate Work and Emotion

By David Magliano, Walton Sun, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Mar. 31–Beach Patrol Sgt. Ryan Brown calls it one of the hardest parts of working in law enforcement. It never gets easier. No one wants to tell a family a loved one has died. "It can be emotional," said Brown, taking a deep breath as he tried to stoically describe the difficult moments. "But at the same time you have to realize that they have to be notified and somebody has to do it. You just have to step up to the plate." More than three of Brown’s eight years with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office have been with Beach Patrol. He leads squad A, which was on duty March 22 during the drownings at Miramar Beach and Grayton Beach. He did not have to be the one to notify families on that day, but any loss on the beach can take its toll on deputies. "You always question yourself, where you were at or what you were doing," said Brown. "Could you have been closer? Is there anything else you could have done ?""You just always second guess yourself." One of Brown’s concerns is ensuring his officers remain in a healthy mindset after a traumatic event. Sheriff’s Office public information officer Lt. Bryan Maule said those recent deaths created two different sets of officers dealing with the emotional impact of a drowning victim. If another call comes in, Brown needs to be sure his Beach Patrol officers will be able to approach the situation with a clear mind. After the drownings, Brown drove back and forth between the two scenes into the evening, checking on his deputies to be sure they were fit to continue their job. "We’re always doing what we can," he said, "but it has an affect on you. You feel bothered by it." It is not always helped by the response Beach Patrol sometimes receives from beachgoers. Maule said the Sheriff’s Office always receives complaints from angry citizens who were warned or fined for being in the water on a double red flag day. Brown said most of the people they interact with are positive, but called it "discouraging" to see others react that way. He said people just do not see the danger the Gulf waters can bring. "They are not only putting their own lives at danger, they are putting everyone else’s," said Brown. "Innocent people on the beach are not just going to sit there and watch somebody drown, they are going to go in and try and save them. And that’s who normally winds up drowning, the person who tried to help." Such was the case in Miramar Beach, when 47-year-old Scott D. Johnson went into the water to rescue trapped swimmers and drowned when he too became caught in the current. However, that trapped rescuer could just as easily have been a member of Beach Patrol, and Brown said his number one priority will always be to protect his team. "If I feel like it’s unsafe, if I don’t feel like we can successfully complete the mission, I will not send my men in," he said. "The first thing to come to my mind is the safety of my people."

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Copyright (c) 2007, Walton Sun, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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