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Do adults really need to be told that sand is unstable? I don't care if you didn't grow up near a beach. It seems as if that's something should have been picked up somewhere along the way.
Not necessarily.
My family used to go to the Outer Banks in NC every year, and not once ever did my parents caution me about digging a hole. But if memory serves, I could only get so deep before the water would come up and the sides would start to softly collapse into it, so it never was able to get very deep. I can't imagine even being able to dig 5-6 feet down, it would fill with water, and then a slurry of wet sand...how did these kids manage this, I wonder?
I have fond memories of those beach trips, but my parents were pretty neglectful, too. I guess it was normal by the standards of the 80s, but now people would think harshly of them. They encouraged me to go out into the ocean alone even though I am not a good swimmer. They didn't have me in sight all the time. I walked probably a mile down the sand alone, looking for seashells without anyone becoming disturbed that I had vanished. This would have been when I was 8-10 years old. We were usually at a beach with no lifeguards, though not always. My family preferred to avoid Nagshead and the busier beaches that had lifeguards in favor of less crowded Hatteras or something similar.
I'm guessing that the parents didn't realize what was happening because they weren't paying attention. They were maybe aware that the kids weren't in the water and assumed they were just digging in the sand not realizing the size of the hole or that their child would get trapped in it and die. Parents are human and maybe they took lost themselves in a moment of relaxation or conversation. Also terrible that no other people or lifeguards on the beach realized what was happening and intervened since the parents weren't there...can't really blame random people on the beach for not noticing but just a sad situation.
I also dont know what to think of the gofundme pages since they are all about money. They typically seem to be put together by a close friend or family member for the person/family who has gone through the tragedy. It's thoughtful but at the same time Im not sure someone suddenly needs hundreds thousands of dollars because they just had a child die. Funeral expenses...ok...but people die everyday and not everyone creates a gofundme for their funeral.
The fact that other people dug the hole puts an entirely different spin on it IMO. It would be one thing for parents to be unaware of their child digging a hole large enough to get trapped in. A hole of that size takes a good deal of time and effort and it would indicate serious lack of attention on the part of parents to be unaware, but for a child to wander off and into a giant hole made by someone else probably wouldn't take much time at all. In spite of what a lot of people think there is no way to keep a child over a certain age under constant supervision 24/7/365.
I'm guessing there might be a few people somewhere feeling guilty over digging that hole and leaving it, maybe it will make other people think twice about doing similar.
The fact that other people dug the hole puts an entirely different spin on it IMO. It would be one thing for parents to be unaware of their child digging a hole large enough to get trapped in. A hole of that size takes a good deal of time and effort and it would indicate serious lack of attention on the part of parents to be unaware, but for a child to wander off and into a giant hole made by someone else probably wouldn't take much time at all. In spite of what a lot of people think there is no way to keep a child over a certain age under constant supervision 24/7/365.
I'm guessing there might be a few people somewhere feeling guilty over digging that hole and leaving it, maybe it will make other people think twice about doing similar.
I live in a town that has a beach and I've seen people complain a few times on the town FB page about kids digging holes that people later trip on or *could have* tripped on and PLEASE bury these holes before you leave the beach...it kind of feels like 1st world problems to be honest. If you choose to walk on the beach you do kind of need to watch where you're going...there aren't going to be THAT many holes that others have dug. In the event that someone twists an ankle that is unfortunate....but could be the same as someone else complaining that they tripped on a piece of broken sidewalk or a piece of trash someone threw on the ground.
I live in a town that has a beach and I've seen people complain a few times on the town FB page about kids digging holes that people later trip on or *could have* tripped on and PLEASE bury these holes before you leave the beach...it kind of feels like 1st world problems to be honest. If you choose to walk on the beach you do kind of need to watch where you're going...there aren't going to be THAT many holes that others have dug. In the even that someone twists an ankle that is unfortunate....but could be the same as someone else complaining that they tripped on a piece of broken sidewalk or a piece of trash someone threw on the ground.
Did you see the picture of THIS hole? That's not something a few kids dug that might trip someone not paying attention. Apples to oranges.
I've seen some pictures. Are you blaming the people who dug the hole for this? It was a freak accident. I have heard of this happening before but not often. I remember my dad digging a very deep hole for me at the beach as a kid and I got into it and i was probably up to my shoulders. Whoever dug this hole I don't think anyone had any idea something like this could happen.
I'm guessing there will be rules about not digging holes, not getting into holes, etc on the beach. The beach can be a wonderful place, but also a scary place and people need to be careful. You can drown, you can be attacked by a shark, now i guess we can add you can be swallowed by sand if you climb into a hole big enough.
The fact that other people dug the hole puts an entirely different spin on it IMO. It would be one thing for parents to be unaware of their child digging a hole large enough to get trapped in. A hole of that size takes a good deal of time and effort and it would indicate serious lack of attention on the part of parents to be unaware, but for a child to wander off and into a giant hole made by someone else probably wouldn't take much time at all. In spite of what a lot of people think there is no way to keep a child over a certain age under constant supervision 24/7/365.
I'm guessing there might be a few people somewhere feeling guilty over digging that hole and leaving it, maybe it will make other people think twice about doing similar.
Regulations on what people are allowed to do are SOMETIMES a good thing, especially when it protects them from their own foolish or uninformed actions. Yes, I often hate it when the government tells me to do something or not do something that's "for my own good", but in the case of digging deep holes on the beach, I think it should be prohibited due to the danger.
Of course, signs advising of this danger and prohibition should be posted where people can see them. Sometimes you just have to protect people from their own ignorance. It's kind of like banning smoking at the gas pumps of a gas station.
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