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A sad and angry sea – and we grieve

A sad end to a shocking few days. I had no idea when I took this photo of the seaweed this morning what the ocean had washed onto the shore. Normally J and I enjoy our morning beach walks. We usually pick up rubbish or find treasures, like this little heart pebble (we found a day after the little dude dog when to heaven), the shells, and the Port Jackson shark egg.

But for the last few days our walks have been difficult.

A young man, a regular at Corindi van park and a passionate rock fisherman, went missing the other day. He didn’t return from his late night fishing excursion. There have been helicopters circling and family members walking up and down the beach, some just staring out to sea.

Last night J and I had to cut our beachcombing short after finding a t-shirt washed up in the seaweed (another lady found black track pants on the beach). We tried walking again this morning, and as much as I told myself it was okay, I had a very strange feeling wash over me. I told J I didn’t want to walk any further because I wasn’t enjoying the walk. All we were doing was scanning the sand for I don’t know what. So we turned off the beach rather than walking to our usual turn around spot – at the rocky point.

We were both shocked and saddened when, at lunchtime, the 26 year old’s brother discovered a body in the weed — at the rocky point — and I think it’s right that it was family.

Corindi beach is such a small, tight-knit community, and having stayed here for many months in our caravan, we feel very much apart of the place. It’s so hard to believe that something as beautiful as the beach and all the treasures it washes up can be so deadly.

The the beach will continue to give and take, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to walk it the same way again.

Michael leaves behind a distraught fiancée and family and our thoughts are with them.