Tourists visiting ‘dangerous’ Outer Banks island risk being swept away, NC park warns

An enticing land bridge growing off North Carolina’s coast has become a potentially deadly trap for tourists, experts say.

Shifting sands are connecting Shark Island to Cape Lookout, and those who dare walk the narrow strip could find themselves swept out to sea, the National Park Service said in a warning posted July 1.

“While the converging currents at the southern tip of Cape Lookout are incredibly beautiful, they are best observed from a distance!” Cape Lookout National Seashore wrote on Facebook.

“In addition to the risk of entrapment, the waters south of Cape Lookout can be incredibly dangerous due to shifting and converging currents. Getting caught by a rising tide while traveling on foot through this narrow band of sand could quickly sweep someone off their feet and out to sea.”

Changing tides are adding to the dangers, officials said. The bridge grows at low tide, but slowly vanishes at high tide.

Storms can also pop up without warning, churning the waters with wind gusts.

“In the past, we have had incidents of visitors crossing to Shark Island at low tide and becoming trapped as the tide rises behind them,” park officials said.

“These situations have resulted in first responders from multiple agencies being dispatched to conduct complex rescues to safely remove them.”

Waters off the Outer Banks are notoriously treacherous as the point where the northbound Gulf Stream collides with the southbound Labrador Current. The nutrient-rich waters are also known to attract sharks in search of prey.

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