A Virginia teenager has tragically lost his life after being trapped under several feet of sand after a dune collapsed.
The incident took place on Saturday (May 6) after the 17-year-old became trapped in a hole that had been dug in a dune at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.
The unnamed boy from Chesapeake, Virginia, became trapped when the sand from an adjacent dune flooded the hole where he was located, the National Park Service said in a statement.
The statement reveals the boy's age as 18, whereas outlets such as the New York Times believe him to be 17 years old.
Part of the statement reads: "At approximately [2:00 PM], Seashore law enforcement rangers responded to a 911 call regarding a teenager trapped in a hole, approximately 0.10 mile east of off-road vehicle ramp 49 in Frisco. Preliminary findings from an investigation indicate the teen dug the deep hole in a back-dune area behind the primary dune and not visible from the beachfront."
The statement continues that before officials arrived on the scene, family and friends went looking for the teen and discovered him buried under several feet of sand in a dune that was not visible from the beachfront.
"Rangers worked with family members to extract the teen while simultaneously performing CPR," the statement continued. "Dare County Emergency Medical Services personnel and Hatteras Island Ocean Rescue staff assisted with extracting the teenager from the hole and administering CPR"
Sadly, despite the efforts of those at the scene, attempts at resuscitating the boy were unsuccessful and he was declared deceased at the scene.
David Hallac, the superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said: "Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers our condolences to his family and friends. We urge visitors not to dig deep holes on the beach due to the danger they present to beachgoers and emergency response staff."
According to the New York Times, Cape Hatteras National Seashore draws many visitors each year due to it being the country’s first national seashore for preservation purposes.
The ever-changing landscape consists of beaches, dunes, grasslands, shrub thickets, maritime forests, and salt marshes - but sadly sand related injuries and fatalities aren't unheard of.
In August, a 35-year-old man died in Florida after becoming trapped in the sand while attempting to video the sunrise.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: "An early morning beachgoer noticed a portion of the victim’s body protruding from the sand and called for help. It appears that the man died hours earlier from asphyxia as a result of being trapped underneath the sand."
Our thoughts are with all those affected by these tragedies.