20-05-2025
EXCLUSIVE 'I thought I was going to die': Brit tourist rescued from 8ft hole HE dug on Brazil beach tells of terror, but admits 'I think it's just a guy thing where you go to the beach and dig a hole'
A British man who became stuck in an eight-foot hole on a beach in Brazil has told how he 'thought he would die' before being rescued by locals in a terrifying three-hour ordeal.
Jensen Sturgeon was celebrating his 22nd birthday in Rio de Janeiro while on holiday with friends on April 26 when the group decided to visit the iconic Copacabana Beach.
Mr Sturgeon, a baggage handler at Gatwick airport, began digging a hole while his friends sunbathed and was even handed a shovel by a bemused worker to aid his efforts.
But after reaching eight feet he struck water, leading the sand around him to collapse and leaving the Briton stuck.
Mr Sturgeon told MailOnline: 'My mate started sunbathing and I thought it would be a great idea to dig a hole.
'We got about eight feet deep and then obvs found water at that point and then it all just came down on me.
'My head was even under the sand. I was trying to shout for my mates and I knew they couldn't hear me.'
After fighting against the sand, Mr Sturgeon managed to free his head and call for help, with some 30 people gathering around him in a bid to get him out.
'I was quite scared,' Mr Sturgeon said. 'At one point I looked behind me and I could see a huge pile of sand. I thought if that fell on me that would be it.
'All that was going through my head was, this is it. I really thought I was going to die that day.'
It took three hours for the crowd to rescue the tourist, using piece of wood, shovels and lengths of rope to pull him up to the surface.
At one point, he was even handed a beer, which he drank in a bid to stay hydrated.
He was eventually rescued to cheers and applause from onlookers, as some filmed the dramatic rescue.
Mr Sturgeon said: 'When I got out I couldn't stand properly. Everyone was trying to talk to me but I just had to sit back down. My legs were so sore for the rest of the holiday.'
After his ordeal, Mr Sturgeon and his friends returned to their hotel where they spent the evening watching TV and eating pizza.
Despite his ordeal, the Brit said didn't seek medical attention and will probably do it again.
'I think it's just a guy thing where you go to the beach and dig a hole,' he said. 'I feel like I will end up digging another hole on a beach.'
Mr Sturgeon was surprised and 'overwhelmed' when the video footage of the rescue went viral last week, making headlines across Brazil.
In a video filmed after the incident, he said: 'I'm Jensen from England and I'm the guy who got stuck in that hole.
'But luckily I had good people to save me. Obrigado to the people of Rio that helped me out.'
