KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — With the summer season upon us, leaders in North Carolina's Outer Banks want beachgoers to be safe and are calling attention to a favorite beach pastime.
Digging sand is a summertime favorite, whether you're a kid building a sandcastle or just an adult who wants to pass the time.
The problem arises though when holes are dug to a size that’s bigger than what’s safe.
"As one person digs, the next person is going to dig more," David Elder said, who works ocean rescue with the town of Kill Devil Hills.
More and more, ocean rescuers like Elder are finding large, uncovered, and unsafe holes dug out up and down North Carolina’s oceanfront cities.
"It’s one thing for the kids to dig a hole, but when adults get involved, it gets much deeper because knee-deep and waist-deep are much different," Elder said.
Ocean rescuers held a press conference Friday off the sands of Kill Devil Hills, days after an 18-year-old man died following a beach cave-in in New Jersey.
The press conference aimed to remind tourists and visitors to the Outer Banks not to leave dug-out holes uncovered for others to injure themselves in.
"Digging holes is okay, it’s a fun pastime for America’s beaches. But safely, no deeper than knee-deep," Ben Battaile said, who works ocean rescue in Kill Devil Hills.
Unattended beach holes become hazardous for both beachgoers and the lifeguards trying to keep them safe. They’re not only hard to see but can collapse unexpectedly on anyone still inside
"We’ve had them happen locally here, especially when you have two holes and you try to connect them: you have a cave in. Especially along the dune line," Elder said.
Rescuers went on to say that the weight of sand during a beach cave-in might feel as heavy as 60-100 pounds per square foot.