By Marilyn May
Milford History
There was news in late May that the Silver Sands State Park in Milford had to close because the parking lot was filled to capacity. It’s great that the park is attracting so many, but it’s likely that many were from out of town and know nothing about a tombolo.
That three-quarter-mile strip of land that connects the beach to Charles Island is not an ordinary sandbar. It’s a tombolo, and it’s very dangerous to walk on it if you do not know the day’s tide schedule. It is even worse if you do not know how to swim, and unbelievably, non-swimmers have died trying to get back to shore. Once you disappear underwater, firefighters will know exactly where to look for your body. Because of prevailing currents, your body will likely be facedown somewhere between the tombolo and Woodmont.
Those are blunt statements, but not as bad as having to read a newspaper headline about another drowning.
Every swim season, there is either a desperate rescue or a tragic body recovery. The concern today is that the newly opened state park will draw hundreds of beachgoers unaware of the topography or the timing of tides.
Yes, there are warning signs, and no, people either do not read or heed them. The signs are excellent, but they are only in English.
Think of the tombolo as being the shape of an upside-down U, like this: ∩. This land formation has very steep sides, and in certain places as the tide rolls in, you can be swept into water over your head and fighting an undertow. Even a strong swimmer is in danger. The Milford Fire Department routinely gets emergency calls for rescues.
No one knows the number of people who have lost their lives out there, but drownings happen every few years. Fortunately, where Charles Island and the tombolo meet there is a bay-like area in which recreational boaters often drop anchor and relax for a few hours. It is not unusual to hear boaters and jet skiers talk about having had to rescue people.
At the right time, a walk around the edge of the island is fine and enjoyable, but conditions change quickly. Unless you know what you are doing, do not take little children out there. If you must, have them wear life jackets. A round trip from the shore around the perimeter of the island and back to shore can take an hour. Time it wrong and you are in trouble. The tombolo is covered by two high tides a day.
There is another reason to stay on the beach: the birds do not want you out there. The 14-acre island interior is closed from May 1 to Aug. 31 to protect nesting heron and egret colonies. Going past the warning signs on the island is a violation of state and federal laws.
There is one more thing to consider: deer ticks. Deer walk out on the tombolo, but more often they just swim out there. They are excellent swimmers. Some have been seen swimming back to shore, but those who choose to live on the island become malnourished, sickly and, sadly, must be removed.
Why do some people want to explore Charles Island? They have heard stories that sometime around 1699 Capt. William Kidd, the Scottish privateer turned pirate, buried treasurer there. But the only treasure out there is your family and your own life. Besides, Kidd buried treasure on Gardner’s Island, and it was dug up shortly after he left it there.
Marilyn May is a lifelong resident of Milford and is on the board of the Milford Historical Society.