There is a potential fatal hazard on every beach that most people don’t know about or have ever heard about. Digging holes in the sand.

Safety at the beach usually involves watching the kids in the water. Not many of us ever give any thought to kids playing in the sand. Go to just about any beach and we can see children playing in the white stuff. Some like to make sand castles, many others like to dig holes or tunnels in the sand. Holes are the danger!

Since we have moved to Florida, there have been a number of news reports about kid suffocating in the sand after a hole has collapsed around them. Some of these accidents have been fatal. The victims aged anywhere from three to twenty-one years old. The average age was twelve.

The holes don’t even have to be very big. A hole only a few feet deep can collapse around a child. Keep in mind; it doesn’t take a lot of sand to suffocate a toddler. Rescuing a child stuck in the sand can be a big challenge. Sand by nature closes in around a person and keeps sucking them in.


Please, never permit your child to dig a hole that is deeper than their knees. One more thing, if you or your kids dig a hole, please cover it up when you leave. Others walking on the beach may fall into it if it is left open.

 

FOG sez:

This is no joke, we love kids, keep a close eye on them while playing in the sand.