2024 Summer Safety Guide: Sharks, Snakes, Sand Holes, Storms And More

ACROSS AMERICA — Fun is at every turn in the summer months ahead as vacation season gets underway. So is danger.

Summertime hazards include everything from sunburn and drowning to rip currents and sand hole collapses to sharks and snakes and more.

Before you dive head-first into summer, here are some things to keep in mind to reduce the chances of accidental injury or tragedy — or, in the case of a rash of wild animal-human encounters in the quest for selfies, public humiliation.

Let’s start there.

There’s a cartoon for the tourists who try to get selfies with bison in national parks. The bison are gathered in a circle, gleefully discussing the start of “tourist tossing season” as visitors flock to Yellowstone National Park, where the largest and most important herd of bison in the country has lived since prehistoric times.

The reason it’s an internet meme that bison-human encounters aren’t uncommon in national parks.The quest for bison selfies has resulted in people being seriously bitten, tossed into the air and gored in the stomach, according to the National Park Service.

The park service says it’s important to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and other large animals, including elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes, and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.

Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans, and they can become agitated more quickly during mating season, which runs from mid-July to mid-August. Give them extra room during this time, the Park Service advises.

People need to behave themselves around wild animals wherever they encounter them.

They may not be injured but the damage they can do to animal families can be irreparable a fact driven home in a widely shared video taken in mid-April. It showed a group of people pulling bear cubs from trees outside an apartment complex in Asheville, North Carolina, so they could pose for selfies.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for the now orphaned cub, the mother bear wasn’t nearby to see the stunt and, experts say, likely defend her cubs. Young bears live with their mothers until they’re between 4 and 6 years old and have learned the survival skills to live on their own.

One of the bears got away and presumably rejoined its mother, but the second required medical treatment and will live at a wildlife refuge until it’s old enough to be release to the wild.

The Sun Is Where The Fun Is

Whatever you’re doing outside, protect your eyes and skin. Anyone can get skin cancer, chiefly caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds.

Prolonged exposure to the sun can also cause photokeratitis, a painful, temporary condition caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays. It’s a bit like a sunburn but affects the corneas of your eyes instead of your skin. Prolonged exposure can also cause eye diseases such as macular degeneration or cataracts.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 sunscreen, which blocks out 93 percent of UV rays, while the American Academy of Dermatologists recommends an SPF of 30 or higher.

Don’t forget the sunglasses. That includes the kiddos, too, but grab them from the toy aisle because don’t offer protection. The FDA recommends glasses with a UV400 rating or lenses offering 100 percent UV protection. Keep this in mind: Dark lenses and UV protection are not synonymous. Consider large, wrap-around frames for more protection.

Also, wear a wide-brimmed hat, airy, light-colored clothing providing full body coverage can provide full-body protection.

Dive Into Summer, But Safely

Be careful in the water. On average, more than 4,000 people die in drownings every year, which works out to be about 11 fatal drownings a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency also reports an average of more than 8,000 nonfatal drownings per year.

Drowning is a leading cause of death in children ages 1-4, and among children ages 5-14, it’s the second leading cause of death after motor vehicle crashes, according to the CDC.

It’s important to know what drowning looks like — and what it doesn’t look like. Forget the dramatic scenes of people widely flailing their arms and frantically calling for help that you’ve seen on TV and in the movies.

Real-life drowning happens quietly, without flailing arms and frantic calls for help. People can't simply stop drowning long enough to take in a breath of air and call for help.

If you have a swimming pool, make sure the gates are secure and kids can’t access or unlock them. Kids should be supervised at all times — and no looking down at the cellphone the entire time they’re in the pool or at the beach.

When boating, make sure everyone has a properly fitting life jacket. Don’t drink while you’re in the water. According to the CDC, 70 percent of all deaths associated with water recreation involve alcohol, and one in five are boating deaths.

Watch For Rip Currents

Rip currents, often called “drowning machines,” are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from the shore and extending through the surf zone and past the line of breaking waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They can occur at any beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes, and usually form in low spots or breaks in sandbars and near structures such as jetties and piers.

About 80 percent of rescues performed by beach lifeguards are related to rip currents, according to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, which estimates more than 100 people a year die in rip current accidents.

Signs that a rip current is present can be very subtle and difficult to identify, especially with rough seas. They can be spotted when waters are calmer, especially from vantage points higher than the water’s edge. Look for:

• A narrow gap of darker, seemingly calmer water flanked by areas of breaking waves and whitewater.
• A channel of churning/choppy water that is distinct from surrounding water
• A difference in water color, such as an area of muddy-appearing water (which occurs from sediment and sand being carried away from the beach).
• A consistent area of foam or seaweed being carried through the surf.

Don’t Dig Sand Holes

The death earlier this year of a young girl digging in the sand on a Florida beach with her brother was a wake-up call about the dangers on the beach. Between three and five children a year die digging snd holes.

Between three and five children a year die in sand hole collapses, The Associated Press reported, citing a 2007 medical study and news reports. The authors of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said the risk of a sand hole accident is “enormously deceptive because of its association with relaxed recreational settings not generally regarded as hazardous.”

Sandcastles don’t require a lot of digging, and experts advise against digging any holes in the sand. But they say the maximum size to avoid a sand collapse is 2 feet. Parents should monitor their children, stop them if they dig too deep and fill the holes before leaving the beach.

Shark! Shark!

Sharks gained a nasty reputation in box office blockbusters such as “Jaws” and others casting the apex predators as villains. With their serrated, dagger-like teeth, they do look menacing — and that image alone can fuel galeophobia, or the fear of sharks.

As phobias go, the likelihood of this one playing out is fairly unreasonable. The sharks don’t really want to eat you. And if they did, they’d swim upward and scoop you up in a single bite, rather than nibble to see if you taste good. (For the record, you don’t. There literally are far tastier fish in the ocean.)

But the chances of being bitten by a shark are about 1 in 3.75 million, according to the International Wildlife Museum. The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File lists 1,596 recorded unprovoked shark attacks in the United States since 1837. Attacks most commonly occurred off beaches in Florida, which has seen 912 attacks since counting began.

Hawaii, California and South Carolina have each seen between 100 and 200 shark attacks since 1837.

Sharks are most active at dawn, dusk and nighttime. Signs they may be nearby include large groups of fish, seals and sea lions, which are ppart of sharks’ preferred diets.

But they may be attracted to high-contrast clothing, including the bright oranges and yellows that have proven to be risky colors, and to shiny jewelry that may resemble fish scales.

If you see a shark, don’t provoke or harass it, even if it’s small. Leave the water immediately. There are other things you can do to avoid a shark attack, including staying out of the water if you’re bleeding. Women and girls who are having their periods should sit it out on the beach, too, according to National Geographic, which has a full list of precautions.

Speaking of marine life, keep your distance regardless of the species. Interacting too much with sea creatures, even in what seem like good intentions, cank make them unafraid, increasing the chances of unfortunate encounters, as was the case last year with a surfboard-stealing sea otter off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. Otter 841, became an internet sensation and something of a toruist attraction. Surfers were urged to stay clear of otters as debate raged about whether humans were the true aggressors.

Snakes In Lakes And Other Places

If you’re swimming in a lake, hiking in the woods or just working in your garden, you can reliably count on a snake being nearby. About 8,000 people are bitten by snakes every year, according to the CDC.

Most snakes are harmless, but even those bites can cause an infection or allergic reaction. Whether at home or on vacation somewhere else, you should know about the 10 deadliest snakes in North America:

• The cottonmouth, which likes to hide in water throughout the Southeast and in the coastal plains north to Virginia.

• The timber rattlesnake, found from eastern Kansas, Texas, Iowa and central Wisconsin to Georgia, the Carolinas, West Virginia, western Virginia, Pennsylvania and New England.

• The black diamond rattlesnake, found widely across the western half of North America, from British Columbia to northern Mexico.

• The tiger rattlesnake, found along the Arizona-Mexico border.

• The copperhead, found throughout the eastern and central United States.

• The Eastern coral snake, found throughout the Southeast.

• The Western diamondback rattlesnake, found throughout the Southwest.

• The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (the biggest venomous snake in North America), found in the pinelands of Florida, the coastal plains of North Carolina and southern Mississippi through eastern Louisiana.

• The prairie rattlesnake, found in the Great Plains from Canada to Mexico.

• The Mojave rattlesnake (the most venomous rattlesnake in the world), found in the desert Southwest

Before you venture go into the woods or some other place where snakes may be, make sure you have a plan on how to get emergency medical help — a good idea in any case. And make sure you have a fully stocked first aid kit. (But be skeptical of consumer snakebite kits, according to the Snakebite Foundation).

While you’re waiting for medical help, lay or sit the person down, positing them, so the bite is below the level of the heart; wash the wound with warm, soapy water; and cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing from the snake bite kit.

Storms Can Pop Up Suddenly

Storms could be frequent this summer, according to some summer 2024 forecasts that say sizzling temperatures could fuel more violent thunderstorms and lightning. These storms can pop up quickly.

Overall, the risk of being struck by lightning in any given year is low, about 1 in 1,222,000, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. About 27 people die a year from lightning, and about 243 are injured.

The highest number of lightning-related deaths occur during June, July and August, according to the National Lightning Safety Council. About 1 in 3 deaths due to lightning were water-related, including people who were fishing, boating or at the beach, according to NOAA.

When the skies begin to rumble with thunder, it’s time to go indoors. That means lightning is an imminent threat.

Summer storms can present all kinds of dangers and can pop up suddenly. When they brew, get to a safe shelter, stay away from windows and doors and anything that conducts electricity, such as wiring, plumbing and corded phones, or anything connected to them.

If you’re stuck outside on a hill and mountain, get to a lower land as quickly as you safely can, because lightning tended to strike at higher elevations. Don’t shelter under isolated trees or near utility poles, water and objects that conduct electricity. And never lie flat on the ground.

If a tornado is threatened, get to a significant structure and go to the basement or lowest level possible, away from exterior doors and windows, such as a bathroom, closet or center hallway. For added protection, get under something sturdy, such as a heavy table or workbench, and cover your body with a blanket, sleeping bag or mattress.

Pack Defensive Driving Skills

Pack your defensive driving skills with everything else if you’re heading out on a road trip — or just commuting to work or running errands around town. About 97 percent of summer trips are by car, according to AAA.

Early estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate fatal crashes in warm-weather months were down in 2023 after significant hikes in 2020 and 2021, but still haven’t dropped to pre-pandemic levels.

Drunken driving makes summer one of the most dangerous on the nation’s highways, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, whose data shows more drunken drivers involved in fatal crashes during May, June and July than any other time of the year.

Plan ahead for a safe ride home with a sober driver — even if you’ve only had one drink. A sober driver is one who hasn’t had anything to drink — not the one who has had the least to drink.

If you’re hosting a party, make sure designated drivers have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages. Don’t let your friends drive drunk. Take away their keys, and make arrangements for them to get home safely or put them up for the night.

If you see a drunken driver on the road, pull over and call 911.

It’s Hot Car Season

Another important vehicle safety reminder: Cars can heat up quickly, even on mild days, becoming deadly in little as 10 minutes. As of May 1, 2024, there have been 969 deaths due to pediatric vehicular heat stroke since counting began in 1998.

On average, 38 kids a year die in hot cars. This year, as of May 23, four kids have died in hot cars.

Take the time to educate yourself to understand how parents and others can forget their kids are in cars — it happens to the best of parents and, according to experts, is most often unintentional. NHTSA offers these tips:

• Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on.

• Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away. Train yourself to “park, look, lock,” or always ask yourself, “Where's baby?”

• Ask your child care provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.

• Place a personal item, such as a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger's seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.

• Store car keys out of a child's reach, and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area. A quarter of all hot car deaths occur because the child got into an unlocked car, not because a parent left them inside, according to the NHTSA.