This was a new one for me. I can’t decide if it is overkill or necessary.

In almost seven decades of summertime visits to Old Orchard Beach, I don’t recall seeing this one before. Admittedly the technology to deliver weather warnings to my phone didn’t exist for most of that time. For that matter, neither did the phones.

Yes, the ocean waters can be cold. My wife prefers Florida waters for that reason – it isn’t unusual for her to spend two weeks in Maine and not wade any deeper than her knees. I respect that – not everyone likes cold water.

Last week, before the warning, I did notice that the water was colder than what I am used to. I ascribed that to being at the beach in July instead of my usual August date – the water temperature is always warmer as the summer progresses.

But I didn’t need a warning that hypothermia was a potential problem, which was the word used on my weather app that I couldn’t figure out how to screenshot.(the picture above is from the weather app my wife uses.) I just didn’t stay in the water as long as I ordinarily do. Call that common sense.

Interestingly. the yellow caution flag was flying on the lifeguard’s chair that day, but not because of the water temperature. The waves were a little bigger than normal. Not big, you understand, but the ocean wasn’t calm.

Still, do we really need a warning for something that should be common sense? Maybe that is where our society has devolved to – authorities cover their collective posteriors just in case someone doesn’t come out of the water when they are cold. (And yes, I know hypothermia sneaks up on you, but that is where common sense comes in.)

Is it that the US is a litigious society and people need extra warnings that can be used as a defence in the case of a lawsuit? Or is it that we are more aware of the risks we face than when I was younger?

Whichever it is, you have been warned.