An investigation into a mysterious "sand explosion" on a Rhode Island beach that resulted in the serious injury of a beach-goer has concluded "no explosive material or device" was present at the scene. There is no ongoing investigation into any terrorist threat regarding the incident, as one of the detectives involved has stated, "I can tell you there was definitely a ground disturbance there, some ground force". This would lead to the conclusion that the explosion, which closed the Salty Brine beach on a busy July Saturday afternoon, was caused by an unidentified natural reaction or event.
Witnesses on the scene described hearing a low, growling rumble just before the explosion, which flung a 50-year-old woman feet into the air, landing face first into a pile of breakwater rocks, causing serious injuries for which the woman had to be hospitalized. One witness recalls that the sand "just opened up" with a loud noise, which sent other beach-goers running. Other witnesses say a large sinkhole had opened up on the popular Narrangasett beach. Others report smelling the strong odor of gas, perhaps methane or propane.
Last month, methane gas plumes were recorded erupting from a lake located on a country club golf course near Toronto, Canada. The witness recording the incident mentions the strong odor of gas permeating the air:
By way of postscript, I can only add that events similar to these will continue to manifest worldwide. There should be a point where the average person, no matter how self-absorbed and in denial, would start asking, "What in the Hell is going on around here?", but quite frankly, we are years beyond that level at this critical juncture in time.