BEACHGOERS are warned to be wary in the vicinity of the dredger pipeline outlet after another Richards Bay resident was sucked waist deep into the quicksand.
‘My daughter and I regularly park at the Palm Beach car park and walk our dog northwards along the beach,’ said Kerry Franklin.
‘On Sunday we decided to walk southwards, however, towards Alkantstrand main beach, as there were numerous other people with their dogs and we wanted to stay away from them.
‘We knew to be careful in the vicinity of the dredger pipeline so walked right on the water’s edge, thinking that would be safest.
‘We realised it was not when our dog started sinking.
‘I picked him up and took a step but immediately started sinking and, before I knew it, I was up to my waist in the mud.’
Kerry told her daughter to take the dog and move away but the dog would not leave her in the quicksand.
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Although there were fishermen nearby, Kerry’s shouts for help were drowned out by the sound of the crashing waves.
Realising she was alone, and her nine-year-old daughter verging on hysteria, Kerry said she leaned forward as much as she could and was eventually able to stretch out her arms enough to grab hold of more stable sand.
‘Luckily I was able to then pull myself out of the quicksand.’
Kerry said there was no danger tape, nor any warning signs on the beach, or anybody manning the area, as there had been immediately after the previous incident.
On Tuesday morning the danger tape that had been erected at the entrance to that section of the beach from the road, was flapping in the breeze.
No signage or danger tape could be seen down on the beach.
A safety meeting, so relevant information can be better disseminated to the public, is believed to be on the cards.
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