Sand tunnel collapse buries man alive on Florida beach
A father of three who dug a tunnel into a Florida sand dune was buried alive when the tunnel collapsed on top of him, CBS affiliate WJAX-TV reports. Rescue crews were able to pull the 35-year-old man from the sand Sunday and rush him to a hospital.
Lee Goggin was listed in critical condition, WJAX-TV reports.
His sister, Rachel Burt, told St. Johns County sheriff's deputies that their families had been traveling since Friday night, on the way from Texas to Disney World, the station reports.
The beach stop in the St. Augustine area was so their kids could "burn some energy," Burt said. The county is about 130 miles away from Disney World.
The dune collapsed when Goggin started to dig backward inside the tunnel he started, according to the report.
Burt told deputies that she saw the collapse and ran over to help. Her husband and Goggin's father tried to dig him out but soon called authorities, according to the report.
The county's fire rescue agency told WJAX-TV that crews had to remove several feet of sand to free him. The station reports it took about 30 minutes to free him.