Page 34 - Retaining Wall News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

The height of the average retaining wall. the canals, the lagoons, what is the average height? >> probably four feet above the high tide, we call them sea walls, they are often overtopped in a major thunderstorm in the summer, you're right about that. >> and how are you doing on windows and things like that. the stuff that pops at 100 miles per hour. >> different structures are rated differently. we have many structures on the island built in the 19370s1970s '80s that might not be the same. >> on the left, periscope.

Just going to show you quickly and stand over here. this retaining wall back there, the water on the other side, there is so much weight and pressure on the retaining wall over there with the water much higher. i'm just going to show you how much deeper it is on this side. just to give you an idea, you can see now clearly in a much deeper situation on the other side at least six to eight inches higher. and so, the weight is a jersey wall. how many have you seen collapsed and that's exactly what rick is talking about. not being able to hold out hearing as this situation continues to soar to flo...

The problem is it's so close it can be dangerous. and now it's turned deadly. it's a major tourist draw on the caribbean island of st. martin. tourists line up on the beach with only a chain link fence between them and an active runway at princes juliana international airport. the blast from the jet engines on passenger planes about to take off literally knock thrill seeking tourists off of their feet. on wednesday, the blast from one passenger plane sent a 57-year-old woman flying into the retaining wall, killing her. the police force of st. martin said in a statement the airport authorities ...

Losing her grip on this famous fence close to the end of a runway in st. maarten. authorities say she was there to feel the jet blast that can reach 100 miles an hour when these planes take off. >> the compulsion pushed her backwards, she tripped, fell and as a result of the impact, she was wounded fatally. >> reporter: a witness recording the desperate attempts to revive her. the islands beckons tourists with the sand so close. several people have been hurt over the years, including this similar incident in 2012, when a tourist was thrown into the same retaining wall. >> i think that sometime...

>> ed: a terrifying scene at the indy 500. scott dixon sent airborne after being hit by a fellow driver. you can see it here. the number 9 car flying into a retaining wall, flipping over and briefly going up in flames. amazingly, heather, dixon walked off under his own power. >> heather: you watch how close his head comes to the wall there. it's a dangerous sport. the coca-cola 600 for nascar was yesterday, too. racing country. our men and women overseas are risking their lives to protect our freedom and surprisingly, they don't always have everything they need or to some of you that might not...