Daniel W. Uhlfelder, a lawyer and resident in Walton County which is situated along the Emerald Coast in the northwestern part of Florida, has been dressing as the 'Grim Reaper' since Friday in part to protest the decision by local and state governments to reopen public beaches to locals and tourists.Walking up and down the beach, the stunt is aimed at getting his message across to those visiting the popular areas to be aware and consider the health consequences of their visit.
Uhlfelder had previously sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for opening the beaches, with the hope of keeping them closed for the next few weeks.
“Nobody is a bigger advocate of public access to state beaches than me – I love our beaches — it’s one of the reasons I choose to live here. But we must act in a thoughtful and sensible manner,” Uhlfelder said in a statement.
Uhlfelder notes that the available coronavirus data is not reliable, and that there are not enough resources in the area to manage the coronavirus pandemic. He added that he hopes his stunt on beaches will have the effect of scaring people off for now, noting that “if this can get one person to take this more seriously, then I feel I’ve done what I can.”