Man in Critical Condition After Sand Dune Collapse on Samoa Beach

A man remains in critical condition following a rare sand entrapment event on a local beach. Around 1:49 p.m. on September 4, a 911 caller told emergency dispatch that a woman was in need of medical assistance after a sand avalanche had “swallowed” her husband and entrapped the woman on Samoa Power Pole Beach. Resources from Samoa Peninsula fire and Humboldt Bay Fire and Cal Fire* were dispatched to the scene, along with deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

In a telephone interview on September 5, Megan Ruiz, Public Information Officer for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, stated, “A gentleman and his wife were at the beach and unfortunately, dug about a six-foot hole through the sand dune [that] ended up collapsing. The wife was able to get out and call for some help.”The woman’s husband, however, was buried in the sand for several minutes before help arrived, the HCSO spokesperson stated. Though initial scanner information indicated concern that the man had perished in the accident, first responders began resuscitation efforts.

“After 911 was called, the sheriff’s deputies showed up and was able to administer CPR,” Ruiz said. A Coastguard helicopter airlifted the man from Samoa to St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka where the latest update on his condition by HCSO indicated the patient remained in critical condition.

The incident that occurred at the Samoa power pole beach highlights the dangers of digging deep holes in the sand. Ruiz issued the following warning to beachgoers, “Be very careful with sand at the beach – it’s shifty, it’s unpredictable – you really don’t know what direction it can fall. So, especially in these dunes, just being very carefully treading on top of them or on the sides of them.”

A 2007 study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that from 1992 to 2007 there were 52 reported cases of sand holes collapsing on victims ranging from 3 to 21 years old. Around 60% of those cases resulted in a fatality, with many of the survivors requiring resuscitation. Shockingly, a Science Alert article says research suggests more people die from sand burial suffocation than from shark attacks.

*Please note that Cal Fire did not respond to this incident. Our apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

Earlier: [Update: One Patient Transported] Medical Rescue Underway for Two Trapped in Sand Avalanche at the Samoa Dunes