OUTER BANKS, N.C. (WAVY) — We all know the first thing your kids want to do when they get to the beach is get their hands into the sand.
Unfortunately, it can end with trouble, as it did in New Jersey in the past week.
Coincidentally, right before that, the town of Kill Devil Hills posted a picture on Facebook talking about the dangers of digging too deep in the sand.
Some holes are several feet deep. If water comes in while children are playing, it could be deadly.
“Digging holes is OK. It is a fun pastime for America’s beaches,” said Kill Devil Hills Rescue Assistant Supervisor ben battaile.
At the Outer Banks Ocean rescue, they agree digging holes at the beach in the sand is fun.
“We are supervising our children. Making sure they are safe. Just kind of watching the tide come in and out,” said mother Amy Distephano.
Distefano keeps a watchful eye at all times.
“We told them not to go too deep. To make their holes wider. To remind them to go a little above their ankle,” she said.
That’s good advice, according to Battaile. All holes should be no deeper than knee-deep.
“We are trying to educate the public. We want everybody to understand. We want everyone to understand that holes are serious. And we need the public’s help with that,” Battaile said.
The holes are not only dangerous to those who dig them, but they also put in jeopardy first responders such as lifeguards who are attempting rescues.
“To our lifeguards that are on patrol out there and our emergency response, how that can delay a response or even where this becomes a secondary incident that we got to no longer go to that response, because we were in a wreck due to these holes,” said Capt. Cole Yeatts, director of Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue.
And for fathers like Fernando Marreiros, he knows there is very little time to relax at the beach when you have young kids.
“Just making sure that they understand that when the water comes up, to stand up, not stay sitting down. That way, they don’t get covered with the sand also.” Marreiros said.
Ocean rescue also recommends before you leave the beach take everything with you and fill those holes. The only things you should be leaving behind are your footprints.
