Tragedy Strikes as Teen Dies in Sand Dune Collapse at North Carolina Beach

A 17-year-old boy from Virginia died after being buried in several feet of sand in a hole that had been dug in a back-dune area at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. The boy was trapped underground when sand from the adjacent dune collapsed into the hole. The back-dune area where he was caught was not visible from the beachfront. Emergency responders administered CPR, but the boy died. The death remained under investigation. Sand collapses have resulted in serious injury and deaths at other dunes and sandy preserves in different parts of the country over the years.