Hilton Head lifeguards haul off 7 trailers of trash from illegal fireworks on the beach
Fireworks are illegal on Hilton Head Island’s beaches, but that didn’t stop dozens of people from lighting up the sky on the Fourth of July — and leaving their trash behind.
Shore Beach Service lifeguards spent hours Friday morning hauling off seven trailers full of trash from fireworks, in addition to the regular trash collection, according to operations manager Mike Wagner. Those trailers are 8 feet long and 4 feet wide.
“People were at least decent about getting the trash close to the bins, so that was good,” Wagner said.
On a typical summer day, Wagner said his crews haul between 14 and 21 trailers of trash.
“We had about the same amount of just trash for a holiday, but the fireworks added a lot to that,” Wagner said. “I think yesterday’s storm helped. The storm hit around the busiest time yesterday, which made for a quieter holiday.”
He said lifeguards picked up loads of fireworks trash in places on the island that normally don’t see a lot of waste.
“The bad spots for fireworks trash change every year,” Wagner said. “This year we saw bad spots around North Forest Beach and North Palmetto Dunes.”
A few volunteer organizations, including Palmetto Ocean Conservancy, the Outside Foundation, and Hilton Head Turtle Trackers, hosted beach clean-ups Friday morning to help with the trash pickup.
Palmetto Ocean Conservancy CEO Michelle Meissen said she hosted a 20-person clean-up Friday morning.
“We got there after lifeguards did their initial sweep, and it was still really bad,” Meissen said. “There has to be something done about the fireworks and cigarette butts.”
Meissen said four children who helped with the beach cleanup spent 30 minutes picking up cigarette butts near the Tiki Hut.
Meissen, who has hosted dozens of beach clean-ups, said the Town of Hilton Head Island needs to be more proactive to reduce waste on the beach.
“I don’t understand how this is a recurring issue on the beach, and it’s out of control on holidays,” she said. “Fireworks are illegal (on the beaches), and so is littering. Why isn’t anyone enforcing this?”
According to municipal code, it’s illegal to set off fireworks anywhere on Hilton Head beaches without a permit. It’s also illegal to litter on Hilton Head beaches. Both offenses can results in fines up to $500.
Maj. Bob Bromage of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said he was not aware of any tickets issued by deputies Thursday for fireworks.
Meissen recommended easy-to-read signage posted on the beach to help educate on the laws and punishments.
“I think people might think twice about littering, for instance, if they saw a sign that clearly said, ‘No littering. $500 fine,’” she said. “As a community, we just need to do more to enforce these rules that protect our coast.”
Meissen said 15 of the volunteers from her group Friday were from out of town.
“People blame all of this trash on the tourists, but I think it’s locals, too,” she said. “It was encouraging to see these people take times out of their vacations to help clean up the beach.”
Other events on the beach
On Adler Lane Thursday afternoon, an elderly man who was swimming went into cardiac arrest, according to witnesses and Hilton Head Fire Rescue spokesperson Joheida Fister. The man was taken by ambulance to Hilton Head Hospital.
Lifeguards saw more jellyfish stings Thursday compared to a typical crowded beach day, Wagner said, noting that lifeguards treated “far more than 100” people for stings.
Lifeguards reported fewer people than usual lost on the beach Thursday, Wagner said.
He said on a typical holiday or crowded beach day, lifeguards are searching for five to 10 people at a time.
“Usually they are either parents looking for their kids or kids looking for their parents,” he said. “Yesterday we had less than 10 (people lost) all day.”
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