A teenage boy has died after being buried alive when a sand tunnel he was digging on a beach in Italy suddenly caved in.
The 17-year-old, named locally as Riccardo B., was on holiday with his family when tragedy struck on the popular Montalto di Castro beach, near the border of the Tarquinia region in north-west Italy.
Riccardo had been playing in the sand, carving out a tunnel that he intended to crawl through from one side to the other.
But as he passed through the centre, the structure gave way without warning, swallowing him whole and leaving no trace on the surface.
A swimmer who witnessed the horror said: ‘He had built a tunnel. He wanted to enter from one side and exit from the other.
‘But as he passed through, when he reached the centre, everything collapsed and the hole was completely covered.
‘You couldn’t see anything anymore; you could have walked right through it and not noticed a thing.
Another local added: ‘When the sand closes in on you, it’s incredibly heavy.
The 17-year-old, named locally as Riccardo B., was on holiday with his family when tragedy struck
‘It doesn’t even let a little oxygen in, and it’s not easy to extract people because it tends to collapse. A few minutes later, they die of suffocation.’
His father, along with beachgoers and lifeguards, began frantically digging through the sand, clawing at it with their bare hands as emergency services rushed to the scene.
By the time emergency services reached the scene, Ricardo had already died.
Riccardo, who lived in Rome, had been at the beach with his father and two younger siblings, aged three and eight.
A major search for the teen was started around 3pm when his family realised he was nowhere to be found.
The mayor of Montalto, Emanuela Socciarelli, said: ‘A tragedy that has left us all shocked. It’s unthinkable that a young man could lose his life in this way.
‘I want to offer my sincere condolences to this family, to whom we are all truly deeply connected.’
Authorities have cancelled all public events in solidarity with the family
In solidarity with the family, all public events have been called off today.
Local authorities released a statement saying: ‘Deepest condolences for the tragic passing of the young man.
‘In such a time of great grief, we extend our deepest sympathies to the boy’s parents and family, affected by this terrible tragedy.
‘As a sign of respect, all public events scheduled for Friday, July 11, are suspended.
‘The community of Montalto joins in silent embrace with the family.”
