Sea Girt officials expect beach entrance where toddler got trapped in sand to reopen in May
Borough officials expect the entrance at Neptune Place to reopen May 1.
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A portion of Sea Girt beach where a toddler got trapped in the sand in February that remains closed may reopen in time for summer.
Beach replenishment happened from January to beginning of February and borough officials expect the entrance at Neptune Place to reopen May 1.
The 2-year-old boy who got trapped in the sand is OK after his father rescued him within minutes. It is unclear where exactly he was playing on the beach.
MORE: Father rescues 2-year-old son trapped in sand that collapsed at Sea Girt beach
The cause of the sand collapse in unknown. Since then, new issues have come to light, including a damaged storm drainpipe going into the ocean. It's unclear what damaged the pipe.
Less than a mile up the beach is another outflow pipe that was damaged by storms in December, according to the borough. Officials say the outflow pipes are around 30 years old.
"So, what we believe happened was – putting the sand on top of the pipe – it’s not the cause of the issue but it certainly highlighted the issue,” said Sea Girt Chief of Police Chief Macko. “We haven't had that amount of sand on the pipe in a number of years. And then through inspections after Feb. 9, we were able to determine that the pipe did have sand scouring underneath which than lead to the pipe being displaced.”
MORE: Changes underway at Sea Girt beach where toddler got trapped in sand
Caution tape remains up on this area of the beach as a reminder for visitors to not walk through.
Crews from the United States Army Corps of Engineers have since removed the sand dredged onto that section of beach surrounding the sinkhole. News 12 New Jersey was told it was completed before the sand collapsed on the boy.
This was the first beach replenishment completed in several years.
"I think the importance to highlight is safety and the borough's concern to make people feel safe when they come to the beach, not just here in Sea Girt but along the Jersey Shore. We know it's a big tourism season, we have a big economy here and this will be ready by Memorial Day Weekend,” Macko said.
News 12 New Jersey has reached out to the Army Corp of Engineers and has not received a response back. The Department of Environmental Protection directed News 12 to talk to the borough.
