On Thursday, July 17, around 7:30 p.m., a drama was played on a beach in Capbreton, in the Landes. While the day was coming to an end, a 10 -year -old boy was buried under almost a meter of sand, while playing with his sister. At this late hour, the beach was no longer monitored, but still attended.
A drama that is played in a few seconds
Fortunately, witnesses present reacted immediately and made it possible to release the child, inanimate, while waiting for help. The firefighters and an SMUR 40 team quickly intervened. When they arrived, the boy was in cardiorepiratory arrest. Thanks to fast and coordinated management, cardiac activity could be restored. But his condition required an absolute emergency evacuation. A helicopter was mobilized to transfer it to the Bayonne hospital center, then in Bordeaux.
An underestimated but very real danger
This terrible accident recalls other similar dramas that occurred, notably in the Southwest in recent years: in 2007, a 23-year-old vacationer died in Mimizan in a hole he had dug; In 2018, a 20-year-old young man died of asphyxiation similar to Lit-et-Mixe. On July 12, a 17 -year -old teenager also died on an Italian beach, buried 1.5 meters deep, without anyone noticing.
Unlike the sea, the sand does not seem to represent an immediate threat. However, the collapses are sudden and often fatal. Fine sand, when dry, is unstable and can brutally close on the person, preventing him from breathing. Unlike avalanches, no air space remains under the sand. Asphyxiation is immediate: sand pressure blocks the rib cage, even if the face is cleared.
Sand, a silent and fatal trap
Consulted, Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency artist, alert on the dangerousness of these practices:
“Yes, there are deadly risks to dig into the sand. A hole of more than 30 cm can collapse in a few seconds. 1 cubic meter of sand weighs approximately 1.5 tonnes: it is impossible to lift without tools.”
He insists on several points of dangerousness that we often ignore:
- Mechanical asphyxiation : the pressure blocks breathing, even without sand on the face (so it is valid when you cover with sand);
- Silent collapse : The victim cannot shout, the sand can fill his mouth.
- Other risks : hypothermia due to wet sand, or internal injuries due to compression.
What to do in case of burial?
Despite everything, making holes in the sand remains a still common activity on our beaches. Being witness to such an accident is therefore possible. For Dr. Kierzek, here is the procedure to follow if you observe an enablement:
- Call help (112 or 18 in France);
- Do not dig outto avoid aggravating the situation;
- Use a flat object to gently clear the head;
- Stabilize hole to avoid a new collapse;
- Carry out a heart massage If the victim no longer breathes, until help arrives.
Prevention: some simple gestures can save lives
There are also simple habits that can simply avoid drama during the holidays.
- Prohibit deep holes (over 30 cm) and tunnels;
- Monitoring children closely : a hole can collapse even empty, after a walker;
- Always get the holes back Before leaving the beach;
- Promote surface games : flat and wide sand castles;
- Inform children On the density of the sand: “as heavy as a car”.
The sand kills more … than the sharks
Finally, to better understand the danger of these hollow holes, a scientist has allowed himself a comparison. In an interview with Washington PostStephen P. Leatherman, an expert in coastal sciences, says that sand collapse cause more deaths each year in the world than shark attacks. The paradox is striking: the sharks make the headlines, while the sand, apparently harmless, kills in the shadows.
“A drowning is visible, a burial is not”, Recalls Dr. Kierzek.
Each summer, the beaches become playgrounds. But it is essential to remember that, under its innocent air, sand can become a real deadly trap. Let’s stay vigilant.