Heavy rain and high water levels last week led to quicksand holes in St. Peter-Ording on the North Sea.
The holes are not far from places that tourists like to visit - including the pile-dwelling restaurant Arche Noah, the pier, at the beach chair platforms and at the playground on the Bad beach section. Visitors should exercise caution on all other parts of the beach. It is currently unclear how long the barriers will remain in place, says Nils Strauch, who is responsible for beach safety on site. The phenomenon occurs when loose sandy soil is heavily saturated with water and therefore has little bearing capacity. Anyone who walks across such an area will collapse, but the body has enough buoyancy to not sink completely. The situation becomes life-threatening if hypothermia and dehydration occur or the flood sets in. If you have your smartphone at hand, you should call the sea rescue control center on 0421 536870 or 112, writes the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS)