Boy Survives Being Buried Alive in California as Tunnel Caves In
A teenager has been buried alive in California when a tunnel he was digging on a beach caved-in on him; trapping him for about 30 minutes.
The incident sparked a desperate struggle by holidaymakers who united in efforts to dig the boy out in time.
Matt Mina, 17, had dug a hole seven-foot deep on Newport Beach Wednesday when it suddenly collapsed on him.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
When firefighters eventually dragged Mina out about 30 minutes later, crowds cheered, however, the teenager was initially unconscious. He quickly came to, and was rushed to hospital where he was later said to be in a good condition and making progress in his recovery.
Video footage captured by onlookers show people gathering round the collapsed hole, and many frantically digging with shovels and anything else they could get their hands on to find the buried boy.
It later emerged that Mina had been digging a deep tunnel with friends. They had commenced the dig in two locations, slowly digging towards one another to make the tunnels meet.
However, tragedy struck as Mina digging on one side was dramatically buried alive as the sand collapsed around him.
Family members, immediately realizing what had happened, alerted a lifeguard, who in turn notified emergency services.
Videos show up about 30 to 40 people urgently digging together to reach the boy. According to The Daily Mail local resident Skip Snead reported, “Everybody was thinking, "They're going to pull up a dead body.”
Officials have issued a warning telling families not to allow children to dig deep holes in the beach, and have emphasized the instability is such structures.
