NBC News reported the death of a Maine teenager and the rescue of his sister after the two became trapped when the massive hole they dug into the sand at a New Jersey beach collapsed on them.
18-year-old Levy Caverly and his 17-year-old sister were able to dig a 10-foot hole on the beach at Toms River, New Jersey when suddenly it collapsed, trapping them both.
When first responders rushed to the scene, they discovered the pair within the collapsed hole, where they were successful in rescuing the 17-year-old sister however unfortunately Caverly died at the scene. His sister is expected to make a full recovery following the accident.
The Philadelphia Inquirer shared that the pair were able to create such a large hole in the beach sand by digging with frisbees.
Additionally, the news outlet added that Caverly had recently graduated from the Mid-Coast School of Technology, where he had been on the school’s award-winning robotics team.
Unfortunately, there was a similar instance recently: a 13-year-old boy died after digging a tunnel in one of the sand dunes at a local state park.
Reports indicate that the child, Ian Spendlove, had been visiting the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park when the accident occurred.
In a desperate attempt to rescue the child, first responders flew to the scene of the accident, where it was discovered that Spendlove was trapped under 6 feet of sand.
While rescuers were able to free him from the pit and transport him to a nearby hospital, sadly Spendlove died the following day after not regaining any brain activity.
A spokesman for the parks agency, Devan Chaves, issued a warning when playing in the sand at beaches and parks:
“Always recreate with a buddy or someone who can help you or go and get help,” he said, according to USA Today. “And always let someone away from the area know where you’re going and what your plan is.”
