Rip current delays Ohana protest

A rip current made it unsafe for kayaks to traverse around the Ohana seawall Christmas morning, but protesters plan to try again.

By Lesley Dwyer
| 4:00 p.m. January 9, 2023

Pat DeChiara, Philip Deming, John Kurgan, Laurel Phillips, Jeff Vaughn, Cyndi Seamon and Wendi Bundy

Longboat Key
News

All they wanted for Christmas is an uninterrupted walk on the beach. Members of One Island One Beach planned a peaceful protest in front of the Ohana estate on Christmas Eve morning, but ocean conditions got in the way.

A rip current canceled the group’s plan to offer free kayak rides around the estate’s seawall that extends into the water.

During the coldest Christmas on Longboat Key in years, protesters put on their Santa hats and dragged their kayaks to the shore anyway, and they plan to do it again when conditions permit.

author

Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.