A man died at a beach in North Carolina when the tunnel he was digging under the sand caved in while he was still inside, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
David Frasier, from Fredericksburg, Virginia, was on vacation with his family at Cape Hatteras beach on Monday when the tunnel he dug six feet underneath the sand collapsed. Frasier remained trapped underground for nearly 15 minutes before his family and witnesses were able to pull him out.
But by that time it was too late. Emergency responders found him unresponsive and pronounced him dead on the scene, National Park Service spokeswoman Cyndy Holda told the newspaper.
Right before the incident Frasier, 49, dug two holes that were six-feet deep in the sand, officials said. He was trying to connect the holes when the accident occurred.
Officials said deaths involving sand holes are not common. The last time someone was crushed under collapsed sand was 10 years ago, Holda told The Virginian-Pilot.
"It is rare," Holda said. "It's probably too deep to be safe if you are using a shovel."
Holes can collapse if the wet sand becomes dry from exposure to the sun, Holda said. Officials warn against digging a hole that is deeper than a person's knees.
In the event that someone needs rescuing from the sand, officials won't use regular shovels out of fear of injuring the victim.
"We're going to us plastic toys, plastic buckets, hands, anything soft to dig with," Jon Rigolo, Captain of the Virginia Beach Fire Department, told WTKR-TV.
