Digging holes in the sand can be dangerous, NC beach town warns

That's the message the Town of Kill Devil Hills wants to get across to vacationers with a new video posted on YouTube.

In addition to endangering beachgoers, who can fall into the holes, they can also pose a threat to lifeguards and wildlife, like nesting sea turtles.

Vehicles can fall into large holes, obscured by sand, and humans can be injured.

Officials said a Maine boy vacationing with his family on New Jersey beaches lost his life in an accident from a hole on the beach.

If you are digging a hole for a sandcastle or other activity, a good guideline is to dig the hole no deeper than knee-deep. It is also helpful to fill the hole with packed sand before you leave the beach.

"We want everyone to understand that digging holes is okay, it's a fun past time, but we want you to do it safely," officials said.

Cole Yeatts, ocean rescue director in Kitty Hawk, said he has witnessed holes so large the entire front of his truck would fall inside.

It's "no different than any crash," he said.

When lifeguards and ocean rescue workers patrolling the beach on ATVs hit a hole, which happens often, "our heart stops for a moment," Yeatts described. "The first question we always ask ourselves is, is someone in that hole?"

Parents should supervise children digging holes on the beach.