US EditionWhen Building Sandcastles and Tunnels, Beware Collapsing Sand | News Channel 3-12
MONTALTO DI CASTRO, ITALY, JUL 11 – Riccardo, 17, was trapped in a 1.5-meter-deep sand hole that collapsed while digging alone, with emergency services unable to save him, officials said.
- In early 2024, a young girl aged seven tragically lost her life when a roughly five-foot-deep sand hole at a U.S. beach collapsed, trapping her beneath the sand.
- Such incidents occur when people dig sand holes or tunnels that become unstable, as happened with a 17-year-old man whose tunnel collapsed after he entered it.
- Witnesses often try to rescue victims before firefighters arrive, but suffocation typically happens within three to five minutes, making quick rescue critical.
- Experts recommend never digging holes deeper than two feet , roughly knee height, since collapsed sand holes have caused 31 deaths mostly among males aged 3 to 21 in the U.S. from 1997 to 2007.
- These tragedies highlight the dangers of digging deep sand holes, prompting safety advice to fill holes promptly and watch for unstable sand to prevent further deaths.
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34 Articles
When building sandcastles and tunnels, beware collapsing sand | News Channel 3-12
OMfotovideocontent // Shutterstock When building sandcastles and tunnels, beware collapsing sand While millions of Americans vacation on beaches every year to seek out sun, sand and the sea, many might not realize how dangerous digging holes in the sand can be. In February 2024, a 7-year-old girl died after an approximately 5-foot (1.5-meter) hole she and her brother dug in the sand collapsed in on her, burying her alive. Stephen P. Leatherman, …
Studies by Stephen Leatherman, Florida International University's coastal scientist: "The collapses are sudden and the weight of the sand closes every window, makes it impossible to breathe"
The holiday fun ends in a tragedy: a 17-year-old is buried on a beach in Italy. The rescue is too late.
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