An early morning walk along the water turned into an unexpected encounter with Orange Beach police for resident Maria Hawkins this week, after Tropical Storm Bertha pushed a stranger’s boat onto her property overnight.
Hawkins stepped outside Wednesday morning, July 22nd, to check for storm damage and found the vessel resting against her dock. She had barely taken stock of the situation before Orange Beach officers arrived at her door, just as she was getting ready to leave for work.
The officers asked whether a boat had washed ashore nearby, and Hawkins confirmed it was there, lodged against the dock in front of her house. With the storm’s aftermath still threatening more wind and waves, officers moved the boat to a safer spot to shield both the vessel and Hawkins’ dock from further damage.
From there, police went to work tracking down the boat’s owner, a senior citizen who had no idea his boat had drifted so far from home. When he arrived at the Hawkins property to collect it, an officer stayed right beside him, holding his hand as he made his way down the stairs to the dock.
Hawkins said that small gesture spoke volumes. She described it as a genuine display of respect and care for a fellow Orange Beach resident navigating a difficult moment in the storm’s wake.
The assistance did not stop there. Officers helped the boat’s owner board safely, and one rode with him back out onto the water while two others returned to their patrol vehicle to meet him at the Hawkins home. Together, they coordinated his trip every step of the way.
Once the boat was secured, the two officers brought the owner back to Hawkins’ house so he could retrieve his vehicle, closing out a chain of assistance that carried him from the dock to his boat and safely home again.
For Hawkins, the encounter left a lasting impression. In the middle of Tropical Storm Bertha’s cleanup, she said the officers’ patience and kindness toward an elderly neighbor stood out as a reminder of the community spirit that defines Orange Beach.