questions → have you ever dug a sand tunnel at the beach?

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Have you ever dug a sand tunnel at the beach?

Jul 18, 2012 4:35 PM

I've grown up going to the beach on the east coast and I used to build sand castles and bury people, but I don't ever remember digging a sand tunnel. Now that seems to be the popular thing to do and people are getting hurt. This article was from a couple weeks ago:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/rehoboth-beach-sand-tunnel-collapse_n_1654361.html
This article was from today:
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/18/12809963-new-jersey-boy-rushed-to-hospital-after-sand-tunnel-collapse?lite
(This story is even more sad when you add in the fact the fire truck hit an innocent bystander and his child - AND the driver of the fire truck was on his last shift....before retirement.)

Since I've never tried to dig one, I guess I am confused as to how these people didn't think that the sand wouldn't collapse on them.

lmensor lmensor

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Dug a hole and buried myself, yes. Digging of tunnels/igloos, never will. Sadly, one of my friends died in 6th grade when ice caved in on them at the beach. Not worth the risk.

lichme lichme
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@lichme: I'm so sorry about your childhood friend. It amazes me that people do this and don't consider the risks. I remember hearing about the first story and the fact that it was an adult, I don't know how publicized the story was but for it to happen again with a child within weeks is so sad. The two beaches really aren't that far apart.

lmensor lmensor
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I have a beach house and I have never attempted this or even thought of it. After this post and the articles I never will. Dig a big hole, sandcastle or bury someone shallow? yes! Dig a tunnel? No!

jako99 jako99
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Oh how tragic.

inkycatz inkycatz
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Never in sand. Yes a couple of times as a kid went to the beach and a group dug a very big hole but never thought of a tunnel in sand.

As a kid did build some "igloos" in the front yard but since you only had a 6-12 inch snowfall to deal with even shoveling the sidewalks into one area didn't leave you much to work with if you wanted one of any size. If it had collapsed it would not have been enough to trap you, just have a pile of snow to push off similar to burying in sand at the beach. Never used water to turn the snow into ice which could cause problems.

raider9924 raider9924
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Many times with snow growing up, but never a tunnel with sand...just seems silly...I guess if it's saturated, it would hold fairly well, but not for any amount of length...a few feet maybe...

sgrman05 sgrman05
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Never have. I'm too claustrophobic I suppose.

jsimsace jsimsace

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