While millions of Portuguese people enjoy their beach holidays in search of sun, sand and sea, many are unaware of the dangers associated with the harmless activity of digging holes in the sand. A tragic incident highlighted these risks in February 2024, when a 7-year-old girl was buried alive after a excavation she and her brother dug about 1.5 meters deep collapsed on her. This case happened in America.
Florida International University professor of coastal science and beach expert Stephen P. Leatherman was called to investigate the girl’s death. Despite several attempts to rescue the child after the well collapsed, local firefighters arrived minutes later and could not revive the victim in time.
Digging a hole in the sand may seem like a harmless activity, but if the hole is deep enough and collapses, the trapped person has little chance of escape. Studies show that more people die from suffocation from sand debris than from shark attacks. This is because the sand is heavy and unstable, making survival in the event of a collapse very difficult.
Sand is not a specific material but a classification of particle sizes varying from 0.06 to 2 millimeters in diameter. Beach sand is usually composed of quartz, a silicon dioxide mineral, although tropical beaches may contain coral sand containing calcium carbonate.
The weight of sand depends on the materials that make it up. Pure quartz white sand beaches weigh 90 pounds per cubic foot when dry. However, most beaches have a mixture of minerals that can weigh up to 130 pounds per cubic foot of sand when dry.
When dry, the loose sand forms a mound with an angle of inclination of approximately 33 degrees, known as the angle of repose. This angle represents the maximum slope at which the sand pile is stable. Surface tension between water and sand grains contributes to stability when sand is wet. However, when dry, the sand collapses.
If the sand in the hole dries or someone stands near the edge, the hole will quickly collapse, filling the empty spaces with heavy sand particles, leaving the victim with no air to breathe. Unlike snow in avalanches, which can create air pockets, sand does not offer this opportunity.
Due to the weight and instability of the sand, the task of rescuing someone from a collapsed sand pit is very difficult. As rescuers remove the sand to free the victim, the hole continues to collapse and is refilled with sand. Rescuers only have three to five minutes before they can suffocate a trapped person.
Professionals like firefighters use boards to cover the hole during rescue operations. This way, they can climb down and use tools to remove the sand without putting weight directly on the edge of the hole.
Experts recommend that a hole should not be dug deeper than the knee height of the shortest person in the group, with the maximum recommended depth being 0.6 meters. If rescued, focus on exposing the victim’s mouth and removing sand from their chest. With the mouth exposed, rescue breathing can be administered while other rescuers continue to remove sand from the chest.
Too many rescuers around the hole can do more harm than good. Ideally, two or three rescuers should work in the immediate area of the victim while others remove sand from the wider excavation area, making the work easier for those in the center. Any tools such as buckets, shovels, beach chairs and boogie boards can be helpful for removing sand.
Between 1997 and 2007, sand pit collapses caused 31 deaths in the United States, mostly children and 87% men. During this period, 21 more people were reported to have survived the sandpit collapse, although many required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Victims range in age from 3 to 21, and the holes are typically 0.6 to 4.6 meters in diameter and 0.6 to 3.7 meters deep. Activities such as digging, scooping, jumping and falling into pits were responsible for these falls.
These breaks can occur suddenly and in harmless situations. On your next visit to the beach, look out for sand holes and fill them immediately. The same
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