Teenage boy dies as sand tunnel falls in

A teenager has died after being buried in a collapsed sand tunnel. The 16-year-old boy from Wrexham, who has not been named, died yesterday after a desperate attempt to dig him out.

Emergency services were called to the beach at Cefn Sidan, near Burry Port, west Wales, last night when the tunnel fell around him.

The teenager had been on holiday with his family and friends.

He was playing with a group of up to 15 other children in the dunes behind the beach when he got trapped about 7pm.

Swansea Coastguard received a call from ambulance control about the incident at 7.10pm.

Burry Port Coastguard Rescue Team was sent to the scene along with an air ambulance and rescue officers from South Wales Fire and Dyfed Powys Police.

The teenager was dug out of the sand and paramedics from the air ambulance delivered cardio pulmonary resuscitation and transferred the boy to Morriston Hospital in Swansea but was pronounced dead by doctors.

Dave Hughes, watch manager at Swansea Coastguard, said: "Our sympathy goes out to the family following this tragic death and it has been a difficult day for our Coastguard Rescue Team and other rescuers involved.

"With school holidays in full swing we want to warn families to be aware of the dangers of tunnelling in sand. Wet sand as we have had today after rain makes it easier for tunneling but sand is always very unstable and heavy and can collapse at any time."