A new warning sign has been posted at a busy beach in Milford after a man died after being swept off a popular sandbar last summer.
After that tragedy, people that more should be done to alert beachgoers of a potential danger at Silver Sands State Park.
“It is a beautiful park. I’ve never been here. My first time,” said Sindis Rizvani of Waterbury.
Rizvani had no idea of the danger of the sandbar until she noticed a warning.
“We saw the sign and then I asked a couple of questions to the staff that was out there. And they explained, for safety, they don’t want anyone walking because of what happened last year,” Rizvani said.
Last July, a Bridgeport man passed away after a strong current swept the 28-year-old off the sandbar.
Sarah Cyr’s husband had been fishing there around that time.
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“He was really shaken up about that. Definitely was even more careful,” said Cyr.
The death prompted calls for better signage at the park. Right before this season a new large and detailed warning was installed, explaining that twice a day tides wash over the sandbar which leads to Charles Island. That creates dangerous conditions with fast-moving currents and undertow.
“When I was younger. My mom and I used to go out there,” said Jennifer Joy of New Milford.
Now Joy won’t take her daughter on the deceptively long walk, which is about a mile round trip and takes roughly an hour.
She and others hope the new sign will help prevent another tragedy.
“Some people just don’t know. They don’t go fishing that much. And it creeps up on you fast,” said Cyr.
If you’re thinking about walking on the sandbar, staff suggest checking the tide charts. And you should start your trip to the island an hour before the low tide.
