City crews in New York are removing the “death sticks” of Rockaway beach, the barnacle-covered wooden stumps originally placed to prevent beach erosion. According to the New York Times, the beach is closed to surfing for the estimated six weeks that the removal will take, though many surfers have been visiting the area anyway.
The “death sticks” earned their name by seriously injuring a number of surfers, killing at least one. In 2010, 28-year-old Charles DeVoe died after his leash got tangled around the sticks, trapping him underwater for several minutes.