A teenage boy from Chesapeake, Virginia, died Saturday after he fell into a hollowed-out sand dune in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, authorities said.
The National Park Service said the 17-year-old became trapped under several feet of sand at Cape Hatteras National Seashore when the backside of a dune collapsed. Park officials said sand from the surrounding dune quickly buried the teen after he fell into the hole.
Park rangers and family members eventually pulled the teen out and performed CPR, but efforts to revive him weren’t successful.
“Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers our condolences to his family and friends,” said David Hallac, superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. “We urge visitors not to dig deep holes on the beach due to the danger they present to beachgoers and emergency response staff.”
Last year, an 18-year-old man in New Jersey and a 13-year-old boy in Utah were killed when the sand dunes they were digging into collapsed.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.