Hundreds Of Needles Wash Ashore At Alki Beach

Hundreds Of Needles Wash Ashore At Alki Beach

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Story Published: Aug 12, 2004 at 3:12 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:32 AM PDT

By Tracy Vedder

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SEATTLE - Beachgoers in West Seattle got an ugly shock Thursday evening after hundreds of hypodermic needles washed ashore in the afternoon high tide.

It forced the closure of that section of beach until the Seattle/King County Health Department decides it's safe to go back in the water. As of Friday afternoon, the latest word is that the beach from the high-tide-water-mark to the water will remain closed until 6 o'clock Friday evening.

The needles washed up right where kids playing in the water could find them.

"And then I picked it up with my own bare hands," said Dagney Lansdowne, 7. "Then I went to my mom and said, 'look mommy, a needle'."

At first, parents thought it was just one or two. But soon it was dozens of needles washing ashore.

Kathy Selivanoff brought her grandson to the beach. "It was rather frightening because there were a lot of kids that were in the water and they were barefoot," she said.

Police and firefighters were called in and began combing the beaches. They eventually collected more than 200 needles.

"Any hypodermic needle that is found out in the environment, people should be very wary and should consider that as a very potential hazard," said King County's Health's Jim Henriksen.

Officials warned kids and parents to stay out of the water.

"Did you know there's needles in the water?" Selivanoff's grandson asks KOMO 4 News.

Drew Sullivan knew. The needles took the shine out of the day and his family wound up leaving early.

All of the needles collected were small, intended for insulin injections. They were all capped and appeared to be unused. "So the needles don't present an imminent danger," added Henriksen, "but they certainly are a hazard."

Because of that, the Health Department closed the 12-block section of beach where the water could still wash any needles ashore.

Later beach arrivals refused to let the warnings keep them from enjoying the water.

At first Sarah Carpinelli, with two small children was concerned, "but they were all capped, they were all new, they were all clean, and what are the chances that one of them is going to come open and a child is going to step on it - we're not terribly concerned."

The Health Department plans to keep the beach closed until at least Friday morning when they'll reassess the situation. They plan to have crews out patrolling at first light to make sure no one goes in the water. It's not that they think there's a great danger, it's just not worth the risk.

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