1

Running Head: DANGERS OF SAND HOLES

The Danger of Sand Holes

Angela Geraci

First Colonial High School

Legal Studies Academy

 2

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Abstract

This paper discusses the dangers of sand holes. Due to the fragile nature of the sand, sand can

easily collapse on people who accidentally fall into the holes, suffocating them and leading to a

cut off of oxygen which can result in severe injuries, or most of the time, death. There are

currently only eight ordinances in the United States which prevent against dangerous sand hole

digging activity. There is no way to appropriately respond to these types of accidents; thus,

prevention is the sole way to stop them from occurring in the first place. Prevention can be

promoted through further laws/ordinances and greater amounts of education to beachgoers and

lifeguards.

Keywords: Sand, holes, digging, collapse, prevention

 3

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

The Danger of Sand Holes

Digging holes in the sand is seen as a traditional summertime activity that kids look

forward to each season; however, there is an immense lack of knowledge on how dangerous of a

threat sand holes possess. Sand hole collapses result in the severe injuries and deaths of children

and adults each year around the world. Along with a lack of education and public knowledge

about how threatening sand holes can be, there is also an absence of legal action. There are solely

eight documented ordinances that exist which warn beachgoers about the requirements for

digging sand holes ("Municode," n.d.). These eight are not enough to prevent these accidents

from occurring, nor are they enforced heavily. Legal action and further education are such a

pivotal key to the solution of this issue because they promote prevention. Tom Gill, the Chief of

the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service, explained that because there is no appropriate way to

respond to a sand hole collapse, prevention is key (Personal communication, September 22,

2016). Overall, the various dangers of sand holes can be prevented in a variety of ways

including greater amounts of education to the public, greater amounts of education to beach

departments and emergency personnel, and an increase in ordinances/laws which warn

beachgoers against digging dangerous sand holes.

The Science Behind the Collapse

60% of sand hole accidents result in the death of the victim due to the sands unexpected

haphazard nature ("Beach Sand Digging Dangers," 2010). It is challenging for most to see sand

as a life-threatening danger with its traditional playful nature and its miniscule, lightweight size.

On average, sand is .05-2 mm. in diameter (Heggie, 2013). The question is how could something

so small become life-threatening, but together the sand can collapse on a victim trapping them in
 4

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

a hole at a weight of 100 to 130 pounds per cubic foot (Due, 2016). A 2016 article published by

the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), titled A Rescue From Sand and Surf

discussed the situation of Stephen Weller. Weller was digging a deep sand hole when he

accidentally fell into it, and the sand collapsed around him. Luckily, he fell in feet first so

lifeguards were able to dig quickly enough to have his head above the sand for breathing.

However, due to the sands fragile nature, each inhale and exhale causes a shift in the sand,

making it compact even tighter. As it compacts, it begins to become tighter around the chest and

as a result, eventually restricts all lung expansion until the victim is no longer able to breathe

(Due, 2016). This is what began to happen to Weller, and this occurrence is known as,

mechanical asphyxia. Due to the restriction to breathe, no oxygen reaches the brain and thus

results in an anoxic brain injury (Heggie, 2013). An anoxic brain injury is a brain injury due to a

lack of oxygen and what makes an anoxic brain injury so damaging and fatal is because of this

cutoff of oxygen to all parts of the brain. When oxygen is unable to reach all parts, it results in

damage to the whole brain (Anoxic Brain Injury," 2016). Additionally, once the oxygen supply

is cut off, it only takes five minutes for brain cells to begin dying (Campellone, Zieve, & Ogilvie,

2013) so the risk of suffering an anoxic brain injury is extremely high and likely in sand hole

collapses. There is very minimal research present on anoxic brain injuries including cures;

however, there is a plentiful amount of information and studies on traumatic brain injuries, which

are brain injuries which only affect one part of the brain. Not that one injury is more important

over the other; however, there is a lack of understanding of just how serious anoxic brain injuries

can be, and these are often direct result in cases of these sand hole collapses (Cullen, Bayley, &

Crescini, 2009).
 5

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Whether a sand hole is wet or dry makes no difference; both can be fatal. Mr. Gill

compares dry sand to liquid. When trying to rescue a trapped victim, the rescuers involved keep

moving the sand out of the way, pulling it out. As they move the sand out of the way, more sand

from the lower level of the hole begins to seep in and the hole begins to grow even deeper

(Personal communication, September 22, 2016). Additionally, as explained in the previous

paragraph, any movement of the victim buried underneath could upset the nature of the sand and

have it collapse even further onto them, even if it is simply to breathe. With wet sand, the

situation is quite the opposite; however, the difficulty level is just as intense. The USLA article

explains how Stephen Wellers sand hole was originally dug using dry sand, but during the

rescue process, a wave of the ocean crashed over him causing him to constantly be bombarded

with powerful saltwater waves, and a whole new situation: wet sand. The article describes how

wet sand is so tightly packed and heavy in weight that it is like trying to rescue someone from

cement. Similar to dry sand ,the occurrence of mechanical asphyxiation can occur as well, and

the difficulty is just as challenging. The rescue was now more than just a two man job and took

nineteen minutes (Due, 2016).

The Accidents

In the documented collapses, the victims hole was an average of around five feet, and the

victims were buried on average for 20 minutes. Victims are usually males and are between the

ages of 12-18 (Dotinga, 2016). A majority of the documented sand collapses have occurred in

United States. The earliest documented sand hole collapse occurred in September of 1914 in

New York, and resulted in the death of six children, making it the deadliest sand hole collapse

reported. As most sand hole collapse stories begin, the children were enjoying their beach day,

until their decision to dig a sand tunnel resulted in their tragic death of all six of the siblings (The
 6

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

New York Times, 1914). This story is just the first documented of various more sand collapse

cases which have occurred all around the world. Additionally, this is not the only case where

multiple individuals were victims of the collapse. In 2006, three brothers in Australia were all

involved in a sand hole accident when they each fell into the six foot sand hole they were digging

with almost one ton of sand collapsing on the oldest brother, who was the one that fell in first.

The oldest was killed and the other two survived; however, one stayed in a vegetative state, and

there has been no update on the case since. The boys were buried for almost twenty minutes

which is primarily contributed to the fact that the lifeguards did not know how to properly

respond to this type of accident. Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Therapeutic Specialist,

Karen Morgan-Hill, describes how the training curriculum for lifeguards does not include

anything about sand hole collapses, or their rescue process. Even as a Norfolk, Virginia

lifeguard, she explained that they did not have any mention of sand hole collapses in her training

process (Personal communication, April, 2016). This is a majority of where the problem roots

from- the lack of knowledge from the lifeguards themselves.

An Issue Around the World

Sand hole collapses do not just occur within the United States. Four of the documented

cases researched took place around the world including Wales, Ireland, and England. According

to native of Holland, Peter Sijswerda, publisher of Tidewater Family Magazine, when foreigners

visit Holland, one of the first places they visit is the beach. Many of these foreigners, especially

Germans, tend to dig colossal holes and set up areas within the hole to establish a hangout area,

as they relax within their giant sand hole which helps block the wind (P. Sijswerda, Personal

communication, September 17, 2016). Although it may appear to be an innovative idea to

tourists, the threat this poses is immense as if that giant sand hole were to collapse, the injury and
 7

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

death rate could be extremely high. The danger of digging sand holes is not solely domestic, and

thus, it must be addressed in ways of prevention which are applicable and adaptable to the whole

world.

Cases and Lawsuits

Families often times never take legal action against the beach where the accident

occurred, or the citys lifeguards; however, in the August 2012 death of 19 year old, Mingyu

Paul Sang, a lawsuit was filed. Sang was filming a video with his friends for a project assigned

at his university, The Masters College, in Santa Monica, California. The school asked students

to create a welcome video for a group of other students who were visiting the school. With his

friends, Sang filmed their video at the beach, and for part of the video he dug a sand hole that

was approximately 7.8 ft. deep, when he entered the hole to film, and the hole collapsed. It took

firefighters 15 minutes to rescue Sang; however, they soon realized it was too late, and he

already suffered a deadly loss of oxygen to his brain. Sangs parents filed a lawsuit against the

college, as well as the city of Oxnard where the accident occurred, claiming that the city failed

to post warning signs about the dangers of digging sand holes and the city did not have

lifeguards present near the accident at the time (Wenner, 2013). Currently, there are no further

updates as to how far the lawsuit got.

In the accident of 17 year old Ryan Buchanan, Ryan was digging a sand tunnel with his

friends when it suddenly collapsed on him. He was buried for 15 minutes and suffered an anoxic

brain injury. Six years later, Ryan is still under a persistent vegetative state (Hurd, director,

2012). The case was brought to court against the California Department of Parks and Recreation

(DPR), suing them for negligence in Ryans accident and emotional distressed cause to Ryans

brother, Jacob, as a witness of the tragic accident. The California Department of Parks and
 8

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Recreation argued that they were protected under a government code titled section 831.7 and

section 831.2. Section 831.7 protects them from personal injury claims, arising from

participation in hazardous recreational activities on public property (Buchanan v. California

Department of Parks and Recreation). DPR explains that Ryans action of digging the sand

tunnel was a hazardous recreational activity and it was not the responsibility of the DPR to

warn him of this activity since the risk was deemed inherent. Additionally, the DPR was

protected under section 831.3 which protects them from injuries from natural condition of

unimproved public property (Buchanan v. California Department of Parks and Recreation).

DPR argues that their public beach, and its unpredictable sand, falls under protection from this

section, and they are protected because of this. The DPRs argument was deemed valid in that

they were not responsible for this accident occurring, and the case failed to go to trial (Buchanan

v. California Department of Parks and Recreation).

The case sets a precedent for how other sand hole collapse lawsuits have resulted. Similar

to Buchanans and Sangs accidents, the families file a lawsuit against those in charge of the

beach where the accident occurred, claiming negligence in prevention of the accidents; however,

these owners are able to easily able to escape the lawsuits because sand is deemed as a natural

condition and it is not the public propertys fault for the nature of the sand- it is simply the sand

and that is something that is out of their control. Although victims and families of these victims

usually are not able to have a lawsuit go through, there are still actions they can take in order to

receive some justice and work to prevent future accidents from occurring. For example, in

Ryans case, his mother pushed for the DPR to have further training and education of their beach

lifeguards on sand hole collapse accidents. Although it will not erase the past, it will help prevent

further accidents in the future from occurring and perhaps, saving a life.
 9

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Method of Prevention

Laws and Ordinances

Along with education and awareness, the prevention of digging sand holes must also be

approached from a legislative side. A significant part of the problem lies in the fact that there is

an immense lack of laws/ordinances which prevent the action of digging sand holes which can be

seen as a threat to the wellbeing of others. From research, in all of the United States, there are

currently eight ordinances which prevent the digging of life-threatening sand holes ("Municode,"

n.d.). California, South Carolina, Florida, and North Carolina are the only states which have

cities/counties within them that have ordinances regarding digging sand holes. Some of these

ordinances are simple such as Los Angeles County, California, which simply states to not dig a

sand hole deeper than 1.5 feet (Sand- Digging Prohibited, 2012). Three other cities in California

state to not dig sand holes deeper than 2 feet, and that sand holes must be filled up prior to

leaving the beach (Digging and removal of sand from public beach, 2013; Digging holes on

beaches, 2014; Hazardous water sports, beach games, and practices, 1999). North Myrtle Beach,

North Carolina, is the only ordinance which actually has a fine of $100 for not filling back up

sand holes prior to leaving the beach (Digging of holes on the beach, 2011). The other ordinances

in North Carolina and Florida are similar to the others, except they add that a person must be by

the hole when it is present in order to advise others of it that are nearby. Each of these ordinances

are a colossal step in the right direction for prevention of sand hole accidents; however, each

could be improved by combining parts of each law together. For example, each law should

contain three parts: the permitted depth of the hole dug, preferably no more than two feet, require

someone to attend the hole, and to require those who dug the hole to fill it back up prior to

leaving the beach. Although a fine could be an additional possible way to prevent sand hole
 10

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

accidents, there could be difficult with tracking down the individuals who dug the sand hole,

after they leave the beach. Other countries have taken their own steps to prevent sand hole

collapses from occurring, as well. Cornwall, England, has placed a ban on digging any sand

holes at public beaches after the various deaths from sand hole collapses occurred in England

(Kellaway, 2016). Although Cornwall has never had any accidents occur there, they are taking

steps to prevent it from ever happening. There has been much local criticism regarding this ban,

arguing that it is too extreme to place a complete ban on digging holes; however, many are also

in favor of it, supporting its strong prevention. A law similar to this could probably pass in

certain states in the United States; however, would probably not be successful as most current

beach laws are rarely followed and can be difficult to enforce, especially among tourists.

Education

Education of the public. Despite these few ordinances, there is still an immense need to

prevent these accidents from occurring, since as proven by the documented research, they still

occur. The number of documented accidents grows within every year. The issue of sand holes is

an issue that must be tackled from an educational perspective as well. As Mr. Gill explained,

prevention is key (Personal communication, September 22, 2016). It is pivotal to make sure

individuals understand the seriousness and the possible threats of digging a sand hole and how

fatal they can be. Education should begin with children when they are young since they are often

times the victims of these collapses. Sand safety should additionally become a requirement in the

curriculum of all swim classes in the United States. In researching the American Red Cross

Water Safety Manual, which covers the topic of beach safety, there is no mention of sand holes in

any of the 244 pages (The American Red Cross, 2009). The fact that there is still no mention of

sand safety in the lifeguard training shows its necessity to be addressed. Mr. Gill advises to
 11

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

others, to never dig a hole deeper than the knees of the smallest person in your group (Personal

communication, September 22, 2016). It is important for children to understand that a sand hole

they dig may not seem deep to them; however, it could be deep for another beachgoer. It is also

pivotal to educate beachgoers that when they do dig a hole, it should be attended by someone,

that way they can look out for those who the hole could put in danger. Once they leave the beach,

children should understand to always cover back up their sand hole. Along with further

laws/ordinances and an increase in education, there should also be a greater effort to warn

beachgoers not to dig sand holes on the signs at the beach. The typical signs at the beach warn

beachgoers about numerous dangers at the beach, warning them about all possible dangers

ranging from warnings about sharp coral and slippery rocks-except warnings about sand holes

(Robinson, 2016). There is no image which warns against digging deep sand holes, or warns

against the activity of digging one. It is important for this to be an include sign and/or image on a

sign in order to make a further step to warn beachgoers about this danger. This would be

something highly likely to be agreed upon as well since it would benefit the owners/cities of the

beach as well. As explained earlier in the case of Paul Sang, his parents filed a lawsuit against the

city arguing that they failed to post warning signs about the dangers of digging sand holes

(Wenner, 2013). If the city had invested some money to have an image warning against sand

holes in the first place, then they would have a solid platform to defend themselves on. Other

cities should take this lawsuit as example and take the necessary steps to add to their beach signs

to warn beachgoers against this danger.

Education of lifeguards/safety instructors. Prevention does not solely rely on

beachgoers though. It is important that the individuals in charge of educating beachgoers, the

lifeguards and safety instructors, are educated as well on sand hole collapse prevention and how
 12

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

to respond in the case of a collapse. All of the nations parks and recreation departments

lifeguards are educated and trained with an instructional book from the American Red Cross. As

stated before, nowhere in the water safety manual, or any other American Red Cross manual

does it mention a sand hole collapse or the danger of sand holes. The beach safety culture

focuses so heavily on water safety and sun safety and yet fails to have any mention of dangers of

sand or how to stay safe from these dangers. This is a major issue since it is important for

lifeguards to not only understand how to respond to this type of accident, but also for them to

acknowledge it as an issue to begin with. Lifeguards should work to oversee holes being dug

nearby and to always remind beachgoers to cover their hole back up once they leave. On a

positive note, however, Mr. Gill described a safety training session for USLA members that took

place last year. The session was solely focused on sand hole collapses and the various methods

lifeguards can utilize to help them respond to these types of accidents. This training session was

the first to take place, and Mr. Gill notes that there will be more in the future to come (Personal

communication, September 22, 2016).

Further documentation. Although more of a minor issue, there is also an immense lack

of documentation of sand hole accidents. So far, there have only been a documented 52 cases of

sand hole collapses when there is believed to be over 90 incidents which are undocumented

(Dotinga, 2016). This lack of documentation is primarily due to the fact that beaches are not

required to document these accidents when they occur (T. Gill, Personal communication,

September 22, 2016). With an effort to make documentation of these accidents a priority once

they occur, more accurate statistics can be released further proving the seriousness of this issue.

Additionally, news sources and media coverage rarely discusses these accidents and their gravity.

Meanwhile, accidents such as shark attacks receive mass amounts of detailed news coverage,
 13

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

despite the fact that they are less likely to occur than sand hole collapses, and less likely to

injure/kill someone than a sand hole collapse (Larimer, 2014). With more precise documentation

and further media coverage, more of the public could be educated about just how serious and

deadly sand hole collapses can be.

Other Victims

Sand holes do not only affect individuals walking on the beach; it can also affect those

who have jobs at the beach, specifically, those in charge of sweeping the sand. In an interview

with Mike Eason, the Resort Administrator for the City of Virginia Beach, the city has a sand

sweeping machine which goes over the public beaches each morning. Several times these

machines have gotten stuck as the result of a sand hole that was not covered, causing them to fall

into the hole and sometimes even break the machine. This causes a threat to the drivers of these

machines when this occurs, and shows the expansion of how dangerous the sand can be (M.

Eason, Personal communication, September 30, 2016). It additionally shows how sand holes can

affect not only beachgoers, but also those who are required to help sweep the beach. Mr. Eason

also explained how it is not just the sand sweepers who can be threatened by sand holes, but also

lifeguards and emergency personnel. When an accident occurs at the beach, lifeguards rush to the

scene, with their quickest transportation being the sand mobiles. Lifeguards travel to the scene

with fast speeds in order to reach the seen and help save a life; however, their own life may need

saving if their ride to the scene is interrupted by a sand hole left uncovered. Similar to the sand

sweepers, wheels can become stuck and fall into these holes. Lifeguards/emergency personnel

are at an even bigger threat, however, since they are traveling at much faster speeds, and as a

result can even risk flipping over in these vehicles because of a dip in the sand from a hole left

uncovered.
 14

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Similar to sand, the snow possesses a playful, traditional connotation with it; however,

also similar to sand, it can kill. December 13th of this year, two boys fell victims to a snow

collapse while they were digging a tunnel in the snow in Greenwich, New York. One of the boys,

Joshua Demarest, who was 13 years old, died as a result, and his friend he was with survived, but

is currently recovering from hypothermia (Preuss, 2016). This accident shares various parallels

with the nature of sand collapses. Similar to the sand, the snow does not appear to weigh much

with its nearly microscopic size; however, compacted together with several feet, the snow can

become deadly when it collapses on its victims and traps it. Snow also poses an additional life

threatening threat with its deadly chill. With snows below freezing temperatures, it only takes

about twenty minutes for hypothermia to become life-threatening (Ballantyne, 2009). This

requires even further pressure for those rescuing the victims; however, similar to sand, it also is

difficult to move the sand out of the way to rescue someone trapped inside it due to its extreme

weight as well. This accident shows how sand is not the only danger that can kill. Additionally,

this case further emphasize the importance of educating the public on not only digging deep

holes in unpredictable nature, but also to understand appropriate steps to help a victim during this

type of accident.

Conclusion

Digging holes is a traditional summertime activity that children look forward to each

summer; however, lack of education and laws/ordinances fail to show just how dangerous of an

issue they can be. Since there is no appropriate way to respond once someone is trapped in a

sand hole, prevention is key, as Tom Gill explained (Personal communication, September 22,

2016). Prevention can be promoted through educating the public, such as children in swim

classes, for example. Education can additionally be addressed to those in charge of safety
 15

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

including lifeguards- making sure they understand the threat and to prevent beachgoers from

digging dangerously deep holes. The American Red Cross Water Safety Manual, the primary

source of teaching lessons for U.S. lifeguards, should also include sand safety, since there is zero

mention of it in its 244 pages of text (The American Red Cross, 2009). Lastly, further education

can be through adding warnings about not to dig deep sand holes on signs at the beach, for an

additional reminder to beachgoers. Sand holes can also be tackled from a legal side as well by

creating further ordinances, and eventually laws, which limit digging activity. Although there are

currently eight ordinances, these are not enough to prevent these accidents from occurring. With

these methods of prevention, the occurrence of sand holes accidents should be able to reduce

significantly.
 16

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

References

ABC News. (2000, August 23). Sand pit collapses, kills boy. Retrieved November 7,

2016, from http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96068&page=1

ABC News. (2016, July 24). Collapsed sand tunnel causes two deaths. Retrieved

November 15, 2016, from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=126823&page=1

The American Red Cross. (2009). Swimming and water safety. Retrieved December 9,

2016, from

https://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m3240085_Swimming

WaterSafety.pdf

Anoxic brain injury. (2016). Retrieved December 19, 2016, from

http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/anoxic-brain-injury/

Ballantyne, C. (2009, January 16). Hypothermia: How long can someone survive.

Retrieved December 15, 2016, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/airplane-

1549-hudson-hypothermia/

Baxter, S. (2016, July 28). Boy rescued from sand hole at Santa Cruz County beach.

Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/07/28/boy-

rescued-from-sand-hole-at-santa-cruz-county-beach/
 17

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Beach sand digging dangers. (2010, August 5). Retrieved December 7, 2016, from

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/beach-sand-digging-dangers/

Boy dies after sand tunnel collapse at NJ beach. (2012, July 18). Retrieved November 15,

2016, from http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Boy-Dies-Sand-Tunnel-Collapse-

Long-Branch-Monmouth-NJ-162916866.html

Boy dies as sand tunnel collapses. (2008, August 04). Retrieved November 15, 2016,

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7540089.stm

Breaux, C. (2016, June 11). Rescue personnel detail recovery efforts after sand hole

collapse kills Oklahoma teen. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20160611/rescue-personnel-detail-recovery-efforts-

after-sand-hole-collapse-kills-oklahoma-teen

Buchanan v. California Department of Parks and Recreation (Superior Court of Santa

Cruz County June 16, 2015) (Casetext, Dist. file).

Campellone, J., Dr., Zieve, D., Dr., & Ogilvie, I., Dr. (2013, September 3). Cerebral

hypoxia. Retrieved December 19, 2016, from

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001435.htm

Coyne, T., & Associated Press. (2016, June 25). Mysteriously collapsing sand dunes

explained at Indiana national park. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from

http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/06/25/mysteriously-collapsing-sand-dunes-

explained-at-indiana-national-park/
 18

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Cullen, N., Dr., Bayley, M., Dr., & Crescini, C. (2009, December). Rehabilitation

outcomes after anoxic brain injury: A case-controlled comparison with traumatic brain

injury. Retrieved December 19, 2016, from http://www.pmrjournal.org/article/S1934-

1482(09)01369-0/abstract

Digging and removal of sand from public beach, Chapter 12.32.120 18-20 (2013).

Digging holes on beach, Article IV of Chapter 15 14-142 (2010).

Digging holes on beach, Division 1 of Article VII 1 (2014).

Digging holes on beaches, Chapter 16.08.440 4 (2014).

Digging of holes on the beach, Chapter 5 5-25 (2011).

Digging of holes on beach strand, Article 1 of Chapter 24 12-16 (2004).

Dotinga, R. (2016, March 23). Digging Holes in the Sand Can Be Deadly. Retrieved

November 7, 2016, from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?

id=4507651&page=1

Due, V. (2016, September). A rescue from sand and surf. United States Lifesaving

Association, 7-13. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.usla.org/?

page=AMERICANLIFEGUARD

Eason, M. (2016, September 30). Sand sweepers and the dangers of sand holes [Personal

interview].

Foster, L. (2001, June 02). As Beach Tragedy Unfolded, Teens Couldn't Save Friend.

Retrieved November 7, 2016, from http://articles.courant.com/2001-06-

02/news/0106021431_1_sand-misquamicut-state-beach-hole

Gill, T. (2016, September 22). Sand Hole Collapse Training [Personal interview].

Hazardous water sports, beach games, and practices Article 4 2-5-77 (1999).
 19

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Heggie, T. W. (2013, March). Sand hazards on tourist beaches. Travel Medicine and

Infectious Disease, 11(2), 123-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2012.12.001

Hurd, C. (Director). (2012, January). Ryan Buchanan Beating the Odds After Sand

Tunnel Accident [Video file]. Retrieved December 12, 2016.

Kellaway, R. (2016, July 15). Children banned from digging holes in the sand for health

and safety reasons. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/690009/children-banned-digging-sand-beach-health-

safety

Kotz, S. (1997, July 24). Sand Caves In On Boy. Retrieved November 7, 2016, from

http://easthamptonstar.com/Archive/1/Sand-Caves-Boy

Larimer, S. (2014, July 25). Another Beachgoer Died While Digging A Hole In The Sand.

Why Does This Keep Happening? Retrieved November 7, 2016, from

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/07/25/another-beachgoer-

died-while-digging-a-hole-in-the-sand-why-does-this-keep-happening/?

utm_term=.ac2f11a30a8c

Lucey, A. (2013, July 13). "Innocent old-fashioned fun" turned to tragedy when sand

dune collapsed. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/innocent-old-fashioned-fun-turned-to-

tragedy-when-sand-dune-collapsed-1.1462328

Man on vacation dies after Outer Banks sand hole collapses. (2014, June 25). Retrieved

November 15, 2016, from http://myfox8.com/2014/06/25/man-dies-after-outer-banks-

sand-hole-collapses/
 20

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Morgan-Hill, K. (2016, April). Lifeguard training on sand hole collapses [Personal

interview].

Morgenstein, M., & Karlml, F. (2014, September 1). Sand collapse kills 9-year-old girl at

Oregon beach. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/31/us/oregon-beach-collapse/

Municode. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2016, from https://www.municode.com/

The New York Times. (1914, September 2). Six Killed By Cave-In. Retrieved November

7, 2016, from http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?

res=9D0DE1DD1638E633A25750C0A96F9C946596D6CF

Preuss, A. (2016, December 15). One boy dies, another survives snow bank collapse.

Retrieved December 15, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/15/us/new-york-boy-

killed-in-snow-bank-trnd/index.html

Robinson, H. (2016). The complete list of beach flags and warning signs. Retrieved

December 19, 2016, from http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/12814-the-complete-list-

of-beach-flags-and-warning-signals

Sand- Digging prohibited, Chapter 17.12.205 30 (2012).

Sijswerda, P. (2016, September 17). Sand Hole Collapses: An International Issue

[Personal interview].

Sims, P. (2005, August 15). DAD'S TRAGIC BID TO SAVE BEACH GIRL, 3 ;

Daughter dies after getting trapped in a hole she had dug. Evening Standard, p. 1.

Retrieved November 15, 2016, from ProQuest Central K-12.

 21

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

The Sydney Morning Herald. (2006, August 15). Boy Dies in Sand Collapse on Qld

Beach. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Boy-

dies-in-sand-collapse-on-Qld-beach/2006/08/15/1155407810937.html

Wenner, G. (2013, March 7). Family of student smothered in sand at Oxnard beach sues

college. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://archive.vcstar.com/news/family-of-

student-smothered-in-sand-at-oxnard-beach-sues-college-ep-293017861-351775061.html
 22

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Grading Rubric for Almost Final Graded Draft

Criterion 4 -- Advanced 3 Above 2 Proficient 1 -- Emerging

Average
Mechanics, Zero to very A few errors Several errors Many errors
few errors inhibit the
Grammar, reading of the
text
Spelling,

Sentence

Structure, etc
Academic Academic Academic Academic Paper lacks
language used language used language used academic
Voice and Law throughout through most for some of language
of paper
paper paper informal
throughout

Law Law is a Law is present Lacking law No law

major presence

Title, All present and All present All present Missing pieces
correct needs to fix a need to fix
Abstract, few errors several errors
or somewhat
Body, incomplete

Reference

Uniform LSA Scoring convention

16 = 100 12 = 88 8 = 76 4 = 64
15 = 97 11 = 85 7 = 73 No
submission = no score
14 = 94 10 = 82 6 = 70
13 = 91 9 = 79 5 = 67
 23

DANGER OF SAND HOLES

Please do the following for final: Just scroll through and fix what is marked.