Telling story of a lost child

The Baltimore Sun

At the beach, children are everywhere.

After a short time in the sun, they all start looking alike, an infestation of wiggly creatures quickly moving and splashing about as they squeal and play in the hazy salt air. It is no surprise that during hot, busy days, 100 children can go missing along the 10 miles of Ocean City beach.

Sun reporter Abigail Tucker and I spent a Saturday with the Ocean City Beach Patrol to observe the way they find and reunite lost children with their families.

The lifeguards have been taught to look for telltale signs of a lost child, who may have traveled a half-mile or more from his or her intended location, looking perplexed and dazed in the harsh terrain where, after a short stint, everything starts looking alike. As one said, "A lost child looks like a lost child."

Near day's end we approached a stand where Nathan6BluewithBatman - his description shared from chair to chair by signal flag - waited to be returned to his relatives.

Connor Braniff tried to entertain the youngster, letting him hold the orange plastic flags and teaching him to signal "hi." But Nathan displayed little interest, his unblinking 100-yard gaze revealing his mind was elsewhere - like the part of the beach where he last saw something he recognized.

I recognized a scene that told a story and took this photo.

In short order, Nathan was returning to his home beach turf in the arms of his mother, another notch in the belt of the beach patrol.

christopher.assaf@baltsun.com

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