Town of Oak Island rolls out new ordinance on holes in the sand

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Oak Island Town Council recently approved a revision to the town’s ordinance for holes dug on the beach. 

Per the new rule, holes cannot be more than 12 inches deep, and they can only be dug with toy shovels.

Beachgoers must also fill the hole back in before they leave or before 6 p.m. If they don’t, they could face a $50 fine. 

Town Fire Chief Lee Price says the holes pose a safety hazard because people can fall into the holes and injure themselves, or the hole can collapse on their legs—trapping them in the sand. 

“In May, we had 115 holes that we actually had to fill in. In June, we had 89 holes that we had to fill in,” Price noted. “It takes resources, that costs money. The Ocean Rescue guys are filling holes in when they need to be watching the water. “ 

As Price explains, having deep holes on the beach can even lead to death, which has happened at other beaches. 

“One cubic yard of sand can weigh in excess of 100 lbs., and what you can have happen—fortunately we have not had it happen here, but it has happened on other beaches—where kids get in the hole, they try to get out, the hole collapses, and that weight is very detrimental,” Price said. 

Toy shovels should be small enough for a child to use with a colorful blade. Price says for the time being—most first-time offenders will get a warning. 

“We will warn people. We’re going to do that for a little bit to let everyone get used to the ordinance,” he said. 

Those deep holes can also pose risks to wildlife, most notably sea turtles, who can become trapped in the holes while trying to nest.