Thinking About Building A Hole In The Sand At The Beach? Don't

Digging holes in the sand is a time-honored tradition at the Jersey Shore. But that doesn't mean it's a smart thing to do.

The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol on Long Beach Island is reminding visitors of the dangers that can occur and is recommending that if you must dig, don't go deeper than knee high.

"You won't reach China and you won't find buried treasure," according to the Beach Patrol's Facebook page.

"Sand, especially the type of sand on Long Beach Island, collapses easily," the post states. "Injuries and even the death of a child on the island have occurred in recent years due to hole collapses. People falling in and hurting themselves, especially at night is a danger too."

Holes in the sand make it difficult to patrol the beaches and respond to emergencies. They also interfere with beach rake tractors not being able to clean the beach.

A 12-year-old boy was injured in a sand accident at the 17th Street beach in Surf City in the summer of 2015.

Borough Councilman Peter Hartney - who is also a longtime Surf City Fire Department member and former chief - said he was home when the accident occured.

Lifeguards and beachgoers had pulled the boy out the the sand when it collapsed. Initially he was not breathing, but began breathing after he was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he said.

Hartney had already called the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department to arrange for a helicopter to transport the boy to a trauma center. Paramedics met the helicopter at the Ethel Jacobsen School in Surf City. The boy was then flown to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, Hartley said.

Photo credit: Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol