The managers of Long Point in West Tisbury are undertaking an internal review of safety protocols after a man died trying to save his children who had been pulled out in a riptide last month.
The Trustees of Reservations, a statewide conservation nonprofit that owns the south shore beach, said this week that it was undertaking the review in light of the death of Kevin Foster, the 55-year-old Cambridge man who died on July 31.
“The Trustees is taking the tragedy with Kevin Foster very seriously, and we are currently conducting an internal review with beach management and safety protocol expertise,” Darci Schofield, the Islands director for the Trustees said in a statement Thursday.
Ms. Schofield did not specifically say what the review would entail, and the Trustees declined two requests for interviews this month.
“While we perform our thorough review of safety protocols, recommendations, and improvements, we have no further comment at this time,” she said. “We will update the public when we have more information to share.”
Mr. Foster was at the beach with his wife Nadia and his sons Kaden and Kenneth, when the sons were pulled out in the riptide.
Mr. Foster went in after them and then was pulled out more than 100 yards, according to witnesses.
Bystanders at the beach, lifeguards who had driven ATVs over from South Beach in Edgartown and Trustees rangers all began rescue efforts for the family and other swimmers.
The Trustees does not have lifeguards at Long Point or its Chappaquiddick beaches. Only Crane Beach, a Trustees-owned property in Ipswich, is staffed with lifeguards, according to the nonprofit.
The Trustees has rescue equipment for rangers at the beach, including a buoy and rescue board. Signs warn swimmers of dangerous shore breaks and rip currents and tell people to swim at their own risk.
“Steep beaches, changing ocean currents, and shifting winds all present danger to swimmers,” one sign reads.
The south shore saw strong winds and surf the day Mr. Foster was at the beach, and both Edgartown and Chilmark guards had to rescue swimmers at their beaches that day, beach managers said.
This article appears in August 28, 2026.
If there are life guards at South Beach there should habe been at Long Point. Given the amount of visitors it was obvious that
Precautions should have been made.
Great condolences to his family.
The Trustees have always had a standing rescue long board on the beach during the summer season. To my knowledge no Rangers were trained to use it, it was for use by the visiting public.
Maybe its time to have atv utv access paths to ALL beaches for emergencies in the future….condolences to everyone………
In many cases you cases you can recognize if a rip current is active before going into the water. Please watch this NOAA video an try to see if you can see a rip the next time you are on the South shore
https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/ripcurrentfeature/ripcurrent_feature_sm.mp4
Thank you, I watched the video and definitely learned some things.