Holmes Beach bans metal shovels, gardening tools from the sand
No more metal shovels on Holmes Beach
The City of Holmes Beach has banned the use of metal shovels and gardening tools on the sand, citing safety reasons. FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon reports.
HOLMES BEACH, Fla. - The next time you head to Anna Maria Island, you may want to think about what you’re packing to bring to the beach.
The City of Holmes Beach has passed an ordinance that will not allow metal shovels or gardening tools on the beach to dig holes.
Holmes Beach City Commissioners say it’s become a safety issue.
What they're saying:
At Manatee Public Beach, Waylon Slabach’s daughter loves to build sand castles and dig in the sand.
"On a Sunday afternoon, we love to bring her out here. Have her play and dig holes and fill them back in before we leave," said Slabach.
They fill in the holes she digs because they know what can happen.
"To do that and then leave it unfilled, if it puts a turtle in danger, it’s an easy thing to do to just help the wildlife we have around here," he said.
Dig deeper:
Holmes Beach City Commissioners want to protect wildlife and beach visitors.
That’s why they’ve followed Manatee County and approved an ordinance prohibiting metal shovels and gardening tools to dig holes in the sand.
"People aren’t listening. They’re on vacation, they’re not thinking and, unfortunately, we have to think about the people coming to the beach after they leave. We have to think about their safety," said Holmes Beach City Commissioner Carol Whitmore.
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Plastic shovels will still be allowed.
Commissioner Whitmore said part of the concerns came after a beach raker encountered a large hole.
"We almost had a ranker fall into a gigantic hole that nobody covered up. It’s a safety issue," she said.
In 2024, a 7-year-old girl in Broward County was digging a 5 to 6-foot-deep hole in the sand, when it collapsed and killed her.
The island communities said they’ve seen holes just as big.
"These holes can be 3 to 6 feet deep and then they leave and don’t cover them back up. We’ve got photos of our turtles getting caught in the holes and they can’t survive," said Commissioner Whitmore.
Adult sea turtles and hatchlings have all been rescued from holes on Anna Maria Island.
Commissioner Whitmore said it’s about protecting nature and human life.
"Digging holes on the beach, building sandcastles, that’s what we all do. We still can do that. Just use a plastic shovel," she said.
What's next:
The City of Anna Maria Island is considering a similar ordinance.
They plan to allow for the use of metal shovels if a permit is needed for construction or commercial work on the beach.
The City of Holmes Beach said warnings will be issued with eventually a fine set in place.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon through a Holmes Beach City Commission meeting and commissioners.
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