NC beach crews warn about digging deep holes in sand that could collapse on children

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WNCN) — Oak Island Water Rescue posted several photos Friday of a mock sand collapse rescue along the surf as the tide was coming in.

A teenager died last year in North Carolina after he was trapped under several feet of sand at the Outer Banks. The hole was created in a back-dune area and was not visible from the beachfront in Frisco at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in early May 2023.

Oak Island is located among the southern beaches of North Carolina in Brunswick County.

Rescue crews posted a photo that recently showed a child sitting in a hole on the Oak Island beach.

The hole in the sand was over the little boy’s head and “could have resulted in tragedy,” Oak Island Water Rescue said.

The agency posted 10 photos of several crew members struggling against the incoming tide in a recent training exercise for a sand collapse.

“In a sand hole collapse, rescue agencies must immediately begin digging so the victim has an increased chance of survival,” rescue crews said in the news release.

The initial goal of rescuers is to remove sand from around the victim’s head and airway, officials said. Rescuers must then dig around the buried victim’s torso in a “labor-intensive effort.”

“The rising tide can also be a danger to the victim,” according to the news release.

Officials said many beaches have had to deal with such problems and Oak Island is focusing on rescue efforts.

“Oak Island Water Rescue recently increased our training for this type of emergency, utilizing different methods and equipment. We will be perfecting the techniques for sand hole extrication in the weeks ahead,” officials said.

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