What is troubling me is that this report did not turn up when I scoured the internet originally.
I have never heard any intimation that the footprints suddenly finished at the ocean, which your excellent translation does.
So I tried Google translating it and other translations but none of them read like yours, registrar, which clearly implies that Rene went into the sea.
In fact Google translation came out with virtually the opposite slant. ie,
Grandma talking
"But he was terrified of the waves would never have gone alone into the sea. Moreover, his footsteps stopped right in the sand. "
Elsewhere, altho I cant find it again, I read that his footprints were right in the middle of the beach. This is the only report that seems to have him taking his clothes off. My mind is buzzing. Once again this evening I have spent hours and hours searching the internet
This is the problem with translations, especially with a German To English translation, cos we have so many words to describe things in all shades ...and I believe that Germany has far fewer, so differences do occur. In most cases it isn't important but in this case it could be.