No trip to the Grand Strand would be complete without a trip to the beach. Sharks and riptides can be deadly dangers in the ocean, but don’t forget to watch where you step on the sand during beach day excitement.
From stings to sprains, here are six ground hazards beach visitors should watch for along the Myrtle Beach coast.
Playing in the sand is a classic beach pastime, but unfilled holes pose a danger to unsuspecting beach walkers. If you’re not paying attention, you might trip or twist your ankle stepping in a sandy hole.
In the city of Myrtle Beach, folks digging in the sand are actually required by law to refill holes and limit digging to a maximum depth of 2 feet.
Still, to avoid a painful fall or stint in a splint, keep an eye on the sand.
A variety of jellyfish wash up on Grand Strand shores. The common cannonball jellyfish is generally harmless — some locals even toss the cannonballs back in the surf — but others can cause painful or even dangerous stings.
“They’re not very strong swimmers, so they’re pretty much at the mercy of the ocean currents and winds,” said South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) spokesperson Erin Weeks. “And so anytime we have storms offshore or strong onshore winds, they can get pushed ashore.”
Jellyfish have venomous, stinging cells that can hurt you even after they’re dead. If you’re walking the Myrtle Beach shore, keep an eye out for box, sea nettle and lion’s mane jellyfish.
Box jellies, also called sea wasps, are the most venomous jellyfish in South Carolina waters and their stings may require hospitalization, according to SCDNR. Keep an eye out for the colorless jellies about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
Sea nettles are more common on South Carolina beaches in the summer. Typically red or brown-tinged, these jellies run about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Sea nettles are responsible for most South Carolina jellyfish stings, but the pain is generally considered more moderate than box jellies.
Lion’s mane jellyfish are most often seen around South Carolina in the winter. Their stings are similar to those of sea nettles and don’t usually require hospitalization or professional medical attention. Keep an eye out for the lion’s mane jellyfish’s reddish-brown oral arms and 6-to-8-inch diameter.
Portuguese men-of-war aren’t especially common on Grand Strand beaches, but they’ve been known to wash up. These purplish-blue jellyfish-like creatures’ stinging cells can discharge extremely painful venom even weeks after death.
Their tentacles and polyps typically grow to about 30 feet and can extend as much as 100 feet, according to the National Ocean Service. The tentacles’ venom can paralyze and even kill small fish and crustaceans.
If you see a man-of-war on the beach, keep clear. If you step on one accidentally, the sting may be accompanied by headaches, nausea, vomiting, chills, shock or even fever, according to SCDNR.
If you step on (or get stung by) a jellyfish or man-of-war, carefully remove the tentacles to stop the discharge of venom and rinse the area with vinegar or seawater. Despite what you’ve probably seen in the movies, urine can actually worsen pain and irritate skin.
Instead, the National Library of Medicine recommends avoiding applying pressure or scraping the affected area with sand and instead soaking the area in hot–but not scalding–water for 20 to 40 minutes. Aim for about 107 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. After soaking, you can apply cortisone cream or other steroid creams or antihistamines to help with pain and itching.
If you have chest pain, difficulty breathing or increasing pain, it’s a good idea to seek medical care.
The Myrtle Beach area also sees its share of stingrays, including Atlantic, bluntnose, cownose and roughtail stingrays. Even if you’re not out in the water, just submerging your feet on a walk, if the water’s ankle-deep you could still encounter a stingray.
The animals aren’t aggressive, but for your safety and theirs, it’s best not to step on one.
“If you spot one there’s no real concern. The only way you’re gonna have an encounter with them is if you step on them,” said SCDNR principal investigator of shark research Bryan Frazier.
In addition to watching your step, you can shuffle your feet when walking in ankle-deep salt water to warn any rays you’re coming.
“What we generally recommend people do, if they are in an area where they think sting rays are present, is to just kind of shuffle your feet along the bottom, and that gives them a chance to to move away from you.”
If the barb is lodged in the wound, you’re bleeding badly or you suspect you may be having an allergic reaction, seek professional medical attention.
For immediate care, Frazier recommends soaking the wound in hot water to denature the barb’s proteins. While the experience can be extremely painful for several hours, Frazier says the hot water will help pain subside.
After you soak the wound, clean the wound with soap or a sterilizer like peroxide or alcohol to reduce the risk of infection. Once it’s sterilized, you can use an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to the wound and dress it in clean bandages.
As with any laceration, it’s important to continue to monitor a stingray injury for any signs of infection that may develop and seek antibiotics from a medical professional if necessary.
MS
The Sun News
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Maria Elena Scott writes about trending topics and what you need to know in the Grand Strand. She studied journalism at the University of Houston and covered Cleveland news before coming to the Palmetto State.