Some thoughts about the drowning incident…

By now, everybody’s heard of the tragic story of the drowning incident involving a 5-year old boy at Danville’s Dan Daniel Park. Here’s some thoughts about the incident…

• On Star News, we started the coverage of this story Tuesday at 4PM with a “Breaking News” update. This was two hours after the incident happened and details were sketchy and hard to come by. We kept up as much as we could, but it was hard not knowing what was going on.
• As soon as I heard the details, I knew (but didn’t want to think) that the rescuers were fighting a clock that didn’t have much time on it. The fast-moving current and cold water didn’t bode well for a adult in excellent shape, not to mention a five-year old boy.
• Then & now, there are always a few people who want to assign some blame to tragic accidents like this. Then & now, it’s not the time for it. I don’t honestly know if there’s ever going to be a time for it.
• As I said tonight, I believe this incident hits home with almost everybody. If you don’t have (or had) a five-year old in your own family, odds are that you have one in your extended family. I came home after the first night and went straight to bed… and didn’t sleep well.
• I’m going to say this and I want it to be perfectly clear. The brave people who have assisted on the rescue/recovery incident have done the best that they could possibly do, and then have gone over and beyond the call of duty. With emotions running high, I know that there are people that have insinuated otherwise. Here’s the nicest thing that I can say about it. They’re full of shit. The authorities know that safety has to come first in an operation like this and you have to fall back and regroup at times when conditions become dangerous. I do not want to see another serious injury or death come out of this incident, and the rescuers know that’s the correct policy to have.
• I give high marks to the staff of the Danville Register & Bee for their coverage of the event. I’ve been critical of Matt Tomsic’s writing before but have no problem commending him for a job well done during this. In fact, all local media have ethically & tastefully covered this incident without turning it into a circus.

This is the first major story that I’ve covered as a member of the “conventional media”, and it’s been a sobering experience. I’ve tried to keep a professional attitude while reporting the story and appearing on-camera, but it hasn’t been easy. Screw that. It’s been hard as hell to relay the information. We try to keep SouthsideCentral light-hearted even under the worst of circumstances. This is the worst of circumstances.

It’s hard, folks. Damned hard. Thanks for reading this.