Boy dies on beach after being buried alive when hole he was digging collapsed
The 17-year-old, named as Riccardo, is believed to have suffocated under the weight of the sand at the beach in Montalto di Castro, 56 miles north of Rome.
A swimmer who was nearby when the tragedy happened, told local news: '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.'
Meanwhile a local said there were no screams or sounds as the boy was buried 'in a matter of moments'
'When the sand closes in on you, it's incredibly heavy,' he added.
'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.'
The boy, from Rome, had been on holiday with his family and had been playing with his younger siblings, aged three and eight, while their father napped.
The younger children left the teen to continue digging and when the father realised he was missing, an urgent hunt was launched.
The father, swimmers and lifeguards began digging, before emergency services arrived and helped pull the boy from the sand.
But it was too late, and he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Montalto Mayor Emanuela Socciarelli told ANSA: 'A tragedy that has left us all shocked. More Trending
'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.'
The local authorities said: '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.'
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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