Meeting at sea for Danny

When friends and family gather at the beach Saturday to remember Danny Oates on the second anniversary of his death, they are hopeful that a special guest will greet them.

In addition to those remembering the 14-year-old Huntington Beach boy killed in a traffic accident, mourners expect to see a seal that has shown up for all three of the paddle out ceremonies remembering Danny. The seal’s continual appearance has led family and friends to believe the seal’s presence is more than just a coincidence.

“I think it’s just like him telling everyone it’s OK,” said 15-year-old Lane Hepburn, one of Danny’s friends.

Danny was killed after being hit by a truck police say was driven by Jeffrey Woods at Indianapolis Avenue and Everglades Lane on Aug. 29, 2007. Prosecutors allege Woods was speeding, driving under the influence of Vicodin and Xanax, and texting at the time of the accident.

There have been three paddle out ceremonies for Danny — a Hawaiian tradition where friends gather in a circle in the ocean to remember loved ones. This one will be at 7 a.m. Saturday at Tower 5, the Junior Lifeguard Headquarters.

In past years, while friends and family were in the ocean sharing memories, the seal stopped and seemed to be joining the group, said Paul Oates, Danny’s father. People said they are unsure how they will feel if the seal doesn’t show up this time.

“We’re like an open wound, and unfortunately there isn’t a big enough Band-Aid to cover it,” family friend Liz Clarke said.

Despite the hurt over the situation and the difficulty of the day that will be a marker of the time that has gone by without Danny, the paddle-out ceremony is a time to remember his life.

The ceremony was started by the Clarkes and Hepburns but has been continued by Danny’s friends. The Hawaiian tradition was chosen because of Danny’s love for the water, Lane’s mother, Kim Hepburn, said.

“He loved the beach and the ocean. It was somewhere where we thought he would be so comfortable,” Kim Hepburn said.

Danny’s friends said they plan on doing the ceremony forever. As his friends grow up without him, they will always have a time to come together and remember him, Kim Hepburn said.

“There will forever be a missing piece of the puzzle — and that’s Danny,” Clarke said.

If You Go

What: A paddle-out ceremony for the two-year anniversary of 14-year-old Danny Oates’ death

Where: On the beach by Tower 5, the Junior Lifeguards Headquarters

When: 7 a.m. Saturday

Bring: A wetsuit and surfboard if you want to paddle out with Danny’s friends and family