Sandwich Couple Finds Sections Of Iconic Boardwalk Damaged In Blizzard
SANDWICH (CBS) - When a whole 200 foot section of Sandwich boardwalk lifted up and broke away during the Saturday blizzard, Sandwich resident Brian Stanton thought he could find it, even though there was concern it had broken up and gone out to sea. "I assumed it was going to be in three spots over there," said Stanton pointing to a marshy area.
He and his wife Katie were convinced it hadn't floated too far away looking at the wind direction and the tides at the time, with a lot of history riding on it. "If we can just find one board and return it to one person, it's worth it."
The boardwalk is actually a walk of history. There are names engraved on individual planks, each with a meaning to someone.
The Stantons made the treacherous trek along the icy shoreline and made the discovery with a eureka moment. "She yells to me I found something. I was about 100 yards further up and I hear her voice and she says I think I found it all," said Stanton.
They found almost all of it, a 150 foot fully intact section buried in the marsh and a smaller piece that broke off. They quickly posted it all on social media.
"It's a gold mine," said Candy Thomson with the Friends of the Sandwich Boardwalk. "There were at least two dozen people looking right after the storm broke and you could walk around."
Mark Gianferante's family plank broke off on its own and he's grateful and incredulous it was found. His grandmother had purchased it to memorialize his uncle who passed away. "Once the sea takes something it usually doesn't give it back," said Gianferante.
The Board of Selectmen will now decide whether to take the boards and restore them. Many in town are hoping for one more summer before the boardwalk is demolished and replaced altogether. "We set out to find it and got a little bit lucky," said Stanton.
It took luck and some local know-how.
