5 freakish ways this summer has been bad for beach-goers
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 12:34 PM - Heading to the beach? BEWARE. Strange things are happening on sandy shores this year. Here are five freakish examples in no particular order.
(RELATED: Keep your pets cool and safe this summer)
5. TEEN CONTRACTS DEVASTATING HOOKWORM INFECTION WHILE PLAYING ON THE BEACH
In July, a mother from Memphis, Tennessee posted a graphic warning on Facebook about the dangers of going barefoot at the beach.
Kelli Mulhollen Dumas shared photos of her son Michael's foot after he was infected with hookworm parasites at Pompano Beach.
(RELATED: 8-month-old has emergency surgery to remove caterpillar from mouth)
Mulhollen Dumas says the ordeal has been a "nightmare" for the whole family.
Four people in their group contracted the infection but Michael's was the worst. A round of treatment cost $1356 and consisted of 6 pills.
Mulhollen Dumas contacted Pompano Beach Health officials who told her that "everyone knows to wear shoes on the beach because you can get parasites."
“I assured them everyone does NOT KNOW THAT,” Mulhollen Dumas wrote on Facebook.
Safety precautions you can take: People living in warm and moist climates where there are poor sanitation practices are at risk of hookworm infection, the Center for Disease Control writes on its website.
Infection occurs when skin makes contact with soil that is contaminated by the feces of an infected individual.
Wear protective footwear and try to avoid contact with sand in areas where sanitation practices are unclear.
CLICK HERE to see the graphic images and warning.
4. WOMAN IMPALED BY BEACH UMBRELLA
A 67-year-old woman visiting the Jersey Shore from London, UK was impaled by a beach umbrella last month.
Margaret Reynolds' ankle was pierced after a strong gust of wind tossed the umbrella through the air.
A fire crew had to use a bolt cutter to free her. She then transported to the hospital in an ambulance.
"It was a beautiful day and a gust of wind blew the umbrella. It was just an accident," Reynolds said in a statement released by Hackensack Meridian Health.
This isn't the first (or worst) time a beach-goer has been injured this way.
In 2016, Lottie Michelle Belk, of Chester, Virginia died when a wind-tossed umbrella hit her in the torso and sent her into cardiac arrest.
Safety precautions you can take: "My primary advice is this: If it's windy, take down the umbrella. Never leave an umbrella unattended," Ed Quigley told Vice. Quigley lost his eye when he was hit by a flying beach umbrella in 2015. Since then, he's established a blog aimed at preventing future beach umbrella disasters. Tips can be found here.
3. CONFIRMED FLESH-EATING BACTERIA ON VIRGINIA BEACHES
Health officials are warnings the public about the presence of the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus on Virginia beaches this summer. So far, one person has died and nine others have been infected.
Warmer seawater temperatures in the summer tend to cause an uptick in cases.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is typically found in fishermen but can infect anyone who goes into the water with a wound. Officials say beach-goers should be cautious of rocks.
"You should still enjoy the beach, but that's one of the reasons the lifeguards are blowing their whistles around the rocks," Nancy Lemis, an epidemiologist for the Virginia Department of Health, told USA Today.
Safety precautions you can take: People with open wounds or compromised immune systems shouldn't swim in salt or brackish water. On land, infections can occur from eating raw or undercooked seafood -- especially shellfish. If you discover a wound after visiting the beach, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If you start to develop flu-like symptoms shortly after visiting the beach, seek immediate medical care.
2. THREE-YEAR-OLD HOSPITALIZED WITH BACTERIAL INFECTIONS CONTRACTED AT FLORIDA BEACH
A South Florida mother has taken to Facebook to warn others about the sores and blisters that her 3-year-old daughter developed after spending a day at a beach in Miami-Dade County.
"They said that there's been a lot of cases from Key Biscayne that are coming in with infections. A lot of kids," Anais Monteagudo told WPTV.
"My daughter got two different bacteria infections just by being in the beach for not even 2 hours," she added on Facebook.
Safety precautions you can take: Avoid going into the water when no swimming advisories are in place. Try to avoid swallowing or inhaling beach water and wear shoes on the beach and avoid going in the water if you have a wound. Unfortunately, sometimes infection or illness can occur even when implementing best practices.
1. GREEN WORMS!
OK, we admit: This one isn't exactly "bad luck" for beach-goers, nor is it an occurrence that's exclusive to this summer. But it could put a damper on your day if you're looking for an idyllic beach and if you're squeamish, you might not want to spend your day next to these guys.
That said, we've included it on our list because it's interesting. And kind of freakish, if worms aren't your thing.
While often mistaken for algae, the swarming mass seen above is actually comprised of plant worms that can be found swarming beaches along the eastern Atlantic coast of England, Wales, France or the Channel Islands.
They're drawn out of the sand by waves and will swirl around in the open until additional waves bring them back to their sandy abodes.
Sometimes, you'll catch up to a million of them swarming around in one mass.
Should you come across one of these congregations, experts say it's OK to look but don't touch. Scientists are just starting to study their behaviour and you could cause them harm.
