Teen killed and sister rescued after sand hole they dug at Jersey Shore collapsed on them

Siblings were digging large hole using frisbees when it collapsed and trapped them, police say

An 18-year-old was killed after he and his 17-year-old sister were trapped in a sand collapse at a beach in Ocean County, New Jersey, on Tuesday. His sister was rescued by the police.

The siblings from Maine were trapped near Seaview Road and Chadwick Beach on the barrier island of Toms River around 4pm on 17 May. They had spent the afternoon at the beach with the rest of their family.

The teenagers were using frisbees to dig a 10ft hole in the sand when it collapsed on both of them, mayor Mo Hill said, according to NBC New York.

Levy Caverley died due to his injuries after the sand collapsed on top of him and his sister, but police and emergency medical personnel were able to rescue the girl.

The siblings “were reportedly digging a large hole when it collapsed and trapped both of them”, Toms River police said in a statement. “Emergency crews from neighbouring towns also responded to the scene to assist in rescue efforts.”

The sand collapse came just two years after a similar incident in New Jersey. In July 2020, an eight-year-old child was also trapped in a sand collapse in Belmar but was rescued on time, according to NJ.com.

Before that, in August 2015, a 12-year-old boy was taken to a hospital after he was rescued from a sand collapse on the beach in Surf City.