Report: Sonoma County emergency management director caught at beach with his family

File photo -- On March 23, Sonoma County announced closures of all parks in the county including city, county, state and federal parklands and recreational lands operated by private groups and non-profits. File photo -- On March 23, Sonoma County announced closures of all parks in the county including city, county, state and federal parklands and recreational lands operated by private groups and non-profits. Photo: Bill Oxford/Getty Images Photo: Bill Oxford/Getty Images Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Report: Sonoma County emergency management director caught at beach with his family 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

The Press Democrat received photos from a source showing Chris Godley, the director of Sonoma County's Department of Emergency Management and leader of the county’s Emergency Operation Center, at the beach with his family on Saturday.

Godley told the North Bay news site that he regretted the trip to the Sonoma Coast. “I own this,” he said. “It was a day off for my family. Any reasoning or justification is going to sound thin.”

The news site didn't name the beach but noted it appeared uncrowded in the photos.

Sonoma County's Department of Emergency Management wasn't available for comment at publication time.

On the first weekend after a shelter-in-place order was issued on March 18, people flocked to Northern California beaches and hiking trails. Photos posted on social media showed a traffic jam on the route to Dillon Beach in West Marin. In response, counties around the Bay Area closed parks and open spaces.

On March 23, Sonoma County announced closures of all parks in the county including city, county, state and federal parklands and recreational lands operated by private groups and non-profits.

“Closing parks is a difficult decision, but it is the right decision at this time,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s interim health officer. “Allowing crowded conditions in parks is not in our best interest during this health crisis. The best action we can take is to stay close to home and limit our outdoor time to our yards and neighborhoods."

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

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