When town staff rolled up to Sunset Beach early in the morning, they found something you do not usually see on the strand: a giant, pool-sized crater dug into the sand overnight.
Code officers stumbled on the massive hole and quickly decided it was too dangerous to leave as-is. They called in heavy equipment to smooth it out and make the beach safe again. Town officials say the deep depression was a public safety hazard, and whoever spent the night digging it still has not been identified.
Police: Stunt Was Illegal And Dangerous
In a July 11 Facebook post, Sunset Beach police said the hole was “dug in the middle of the night” and so big it “could serve as a backyard pool.” Code Compliance staff then asked the Department of Public Works to bring out a backhoe to fill it in, as reported by The Charlotte Observer. The post set off a flurry of online reaction, with locals blasting the stunt as reckless and urging the town to crack down harder on beach rule breakers.
Town Rules And Why They Matter
Sunset Beach’s municipal code bans anyone from digging holes deeper than 18 inches or wider than five feet and requires that any hole be filled in by 7:00 p.m., according to the Town of Sunset Beach. The town’s beach rules say refilling holes by sunset helps prevent injuries, keeps emergency access routes open and protects turtle nesting habitat, which officials say is why this crater earned a visit from a backhoe. For more on those rules, see the Town of Sunset Beach.
Coastal Towns Tighten Rules After Hazardous Holes
Sunset Beach is not alone in cracking down on extreme sand digging. Coastal communities across the country have been tightening their rules after dangerous collapses and close calls. Del Mar, California, for instance, recently approved an ordinance aimed at banning “hazardous holes,” as reported by KPBS. Officials in those beach towns say modest limits on hole digging can cut down on trip-and-fall accidents, keep lifeguards and first responders from being blocked and reduce harm to nesting wildlife, all while still allowing shallow sand play for kids and families.
Police say they have not identified any suspects in the Sunset Beach incident and are asking anyone who saw activity on the strand overnight to contact local authorities, according to The Charlotte Observer. For now, town officials are using the mystery crater as a reminder: refill your holes before you leave the beach and follow the posted rules so both people and sea turtles stay safe.
