Regular readers of The Bugle know we’ve been hammering home the importance of staying safe this summer.

When I file a story for The Bugle, there’s a line in the template asking for a photograph, a caption, and the source. I’d just typed “photo to be sourced” when, within 10 minutes, I spotted this couple on the rocks during a walk to breakfast at Diggies.

It wasn’t difficult to find them. That’s what struck me the most. How sad it is that, in a place filled with safety messages and warnings, people like this can so easily fill the spot for my photo, standing on slippery rocks, waves crashing around them, one misstep away from tragedy.

This photograph isn’t about shame. It’s about the sobering reminder of how often people take unnecessary risks, no matter how many warnings are given. Everyone shares safety messages, but we rarely know if they work. That doesn’t mean we can stop.

If this story makes even one person think twice, then it’s worth it. If one life is saved because someone chose caution over risk, all the effort, the warnings, the articles, the conversations, will have been worthwhile.

Because while we might not see the impact, we have to believe it’s there. Giving up is not an option when lives are at stake.