Photo by Madison Miller.
Chad Lindsey
Panama City Beach Chief Chad Lindsey speaks at Mountain Brook High School.
While some parents might be confident that their children are mature enough to handle going solo at the beach, Panama City Beach Deputy Chief Chad Lindsey warns parents to not underestimate what could happen.
He and Gavin Kostelecky with Orange Beach Police Department spoke at two spring break safety talks organized by All In Mountain Brook on Jan. 14 and 15.
Both officers have spent many years patrolling the beaches during spring break and have witnessed what they describe as preventable accidents that have resulted in the injury or death of many young visitors. Much of this is due to the extreme volume of visitors that the beach received during this time.
Parents might believe that their children would never participate in inappropriate behavior, but Lindsey said he knows that every person on the beach is someone’s child and it does not prevent them from engaging in dangerous situations. If teenagers are allowed to visit the beach unsupervised during spring break, Lindsey and Kostelecky advise parents to make sure that they:
- Have no access to alcohol or other substances
- Stay together in groups
- Pay attention to their surroundings
For more information, visit allinmountainbrook.org.
