SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas — Nearly two months after 11-year-old Joshua Lahai drowned while swimming at Surfside Beach over Memorial Day weekend, Surfside Beach police are expanding a community-driven safety initiative they hope will help prevent future drownings.
KHOU 11 got exclusive access to ride along with Surfside Beach Police Chief Philip Hester as he patrolled the shoreline, showing how the department is working to make life jackets more accessible for families visiting the beach.
“We made a real simple program,” Hester said. “It’s just there’s a rack there with the life jackets. If people need them, they grab them, and then when they leave, they can hang them back up to dry.”…