Teen dies when hole dug in Outer Banks sand dune collapses on him, national park says

A hole dug for fun in the side of a sand dune at Cape Hatteras National Seashore became a death trap when it collapsed atop a teenager, according to the National Park Service.

The 17-year-old male was visiting the North Carolina park from Chesapeake, Virginia, officials said in a news release.

He is believed to have smothered Saturday, May 6, after becoming “trapped under several feet of sand” on a beach near Frisco.

“At approximately 2 p.m., seashore law enforcement rangers responded to a 911 call regarding a teenager trapped in a hole,” the park reported.

“Prior to arriving on scene, family and friends went looking for the teenager and found him buried under several feet of sand, apparently caused by portions of the adjacent dune collapsing into the hole. Rangers worked with family members to extract the teen while simultaneously performing CPR.”

The teen died at the scene, officials said. His identity has not been released.

Investigators say the hole had been “dug in a back-dune area behind the primary dune and not visible from the beachfront.”

Details of who dug the hole were not released, but it is common for tourists to dig in the sand during beach visits, resulting in frequent warnings from the National Park Service. The holes can fill with water at high tide, trapping children and animals, including endangered sea turtles, experts say. Emergency vehicles can also become stuck in the holes at night.

“We urge visitors not to dig deep holes on the beach due to the danger they present to beachgoers and emergency response staff,” park Superintendent David Hallac said in the release.

This story was originally published May 7, 2023 at 6:17 AM with the headline "Teen dies when hole dug in Outer Banks sand dune collapses on him, national park says."