A 17-year-old boy has died after a tunnel he was digging on the beach collapsed while he was inside it. Authorities declared him dead at the scene.
According to multiple Italian outlets, including Corriere Della Sera, the incident occurred at the beach at Montalto di Castro on July 10 at around 3 PM. Riccardo Boni, 17, was on holiday with his father and younger brothers. Per FOX News, the family was staying at a resort nearby. The brothers reportedly moved close to the shore in a more secluded area of the beach and started digging a hole. The outlet explains that Riccardo’s father fell asleep while his sons dug.
Corriere Della Sera explains that the hole was over one meter deep. The 17-year-old reportedly went down inside to keep digging when the walls suddenly collapsed. One of the teen’s younger brothers allegedly shouted, “Riccardo is under the sand!” which woke his father up. He and several other beach goers frantically dug in the sand to rescue him. He was unresponsive when they freed him.
Emergency Services Were Unable To Resuscitate The 17-Year-Old
Emergency Services arrived at the beach, including an air ambulance. Despite the first responders’ best efforts, Riccardo was declared dead at the scene. Per The Sun, Lieutenant Daniele Tramontana reportedly said, “No one realized what had happened. They lost a lot of time because they couldn’t see him. When they realized he was missing, they began to look for him, but it was too late.”
The Sun also reveals that it took roughly 40 minutes for the family to find Riccardo, citing local reports. The outlet clarifies that the teen was digging a tunnel with his brothers, and it was approximately 5 feet deep. Tramontana said that emergency services found flip-flops and a T-shirt next to where the hole was, adding, “I have spoken to colleagues and we have never heard of anything like this happening before in Italy. We deal with terrible situations all the time, but we can’t imagine how a game on the beach ended up this way. The family is destroyed, they are in deep shock.”
Per FOX News, authorities have opened an investigation “against persons unknown.” It remains unclear if an autopsy will be required.