Sand Traps a Hidden Beach Hazard

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/hsn/20010418/hl/sand_traps_a_hidden_beach_hazard_1.html

Just as you thought it was safe to go in the water, a new report of dangers entered the water.  The risk is for kids who dig big holes in the sand.  These holes can capsize and suffocate the child.  There have been seven cases in the last three years and four deaths.  The soft sand that the children were playing in caused these deaths.  The wet sand near the shore break, due to the maneuverability of the sand and how firm it can get.  Six out of seven incidents occurred on public beaches on the Atlantic coast, and the other one took place in the Childs back yard. The victims ranged in age from 8 to 21.  The holes were hand-dug and had an average depth of five to six feet. On average, the holes were dug less than 20 feet from the water.  In each of the accidents, the sand holes suddenly collapsed, burying the victim. In five of the seven cases, jumping into the hole may have triggered the collapse. With the case of the 21-year-old person, he dug a 9-foot hole and 7 feet wide.  When he put a lawn cheer in it, the walls suddenly clasped and he was buried.  There are no rules or guidelines for this kind of accident. Also when a hole is dug and not filled after dug, it can be a danger to runners and children.  The victim’s parents are trying to get restrictions made about how big you can dig a hole before it gets too big.

My opinion is this is kind of scary.  I see enormous amounts of kids that dig holes at the beach, some of them are big. It seems like if they even passed a law about these incidents it would be hard to enforce.  This was a very informative article and I’m glad I read it.