So as the wall of water death approaches ....they stand there and take pictures of it on the beach ????
I know if *I* didn't know what the tides were supposed to be like in an area, I might not figure it out until it's too late either. I suspect most of us would have the same problem.
They simply didn't understand what was happening. As has occured in the past, many beach-roamers went down to see why the surf had receded -- revealing the coastal sub-surface -- a curiousity to say the least.