Parents publicly called out by cops for behavior when child went missing on beach – & they still ignored police warnings

A CAREGIVER has been publicly blasted by rescuers after a child vanished on a busy beach in an incident officials branded “very preventable.” Even after the youngster was found safe, emergency crews said they watched the adult immediately turn their attention straight back to their phone. Kennebunk police officials blasted caregivers publicly after a child vanished on a busy beach Credit: Getty Officials warned that keeping watch near the ocean requires constant attention rather than relying on lifeguards (stock image) Credit: Getty Images The alarming incident unfolded Monday at Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk, Maine, where the child had wandered away from the area where their caregiver was staying. A search was launched before the youngster was eventually located safely and reunited with the adult. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! But Kennebunk Fire-Rescue said what personnel witnessed next prompted them to step in. “After the child was safely reunited with the caregiver, our personnel observed the caregiver immediately return their attention to their phone,” the department said. Officials then gave the caregiver a “stern warning” about what had happened and their responsibility to watch the child. The department did not identify the adult or reveal their relationship to the youngster. It also did not say how long the child had been missing or how far they had traveled. But officials said the youngster had reached “a completely different beach area” before being found. Most read in The Sun The scare prompted the department to issue an unusually blunt public message to parents and caregivers. “A Reminder to Parents and Caregivers: Phones Down. Eyes Up,” it wrote on Facebook. Officials warned that keeping watch near the ocean requires constant attention rather than relying on lifeguards to notice when a child wanders off. “When you are at the beach, pool, lake, or anywhere near the water with a child, put the phone down and keep your eyes up,” the department said. “Active supervision means maintaining constant awareness of where your child is and what they are doing.” Fire officials also hit out at the extra burden missing-child searches can place on Kennebunk’s Ocean Guards. “Our guards are there to protect everyone using our beaches—they are not babysitters and cannot replace parental or caregiver supervision,” the department said. The guards must normally scan the water for distressed swimmers, monitor changing conditions and respond to medical and life-threatening emergencies. A search for an inadequately supervised child can pull their attention and resources away from those jobs, officials warned. The department also stressed that drowning emergencies can happen quickly and may not involve the screaming or splashing many people expect. It urged adults to stay alert even when lifeguards are on duty, saying their presence does not shift responsibility away from a child’s caregiver. “Phones down. Eyes up. Know where your children are at all times,” the department said. “A few seconds of distraction near the water can have lifelong consequences.” Comment now