Overview

• The Rome teenager and his two younger brothers dug an approximately 1.5-meter hole at Campingplatz California beach in Montalto di Castro on July 10 around 3 p.m.
• When the 17-year-old entered the pit, its sand walls collapsed and buried him under several feet of sand.
• Bystanders and the teen’s father spent about 40 minutes digging before paramedics and a rescue helicopter arrived, but he could not be revived.
• Mayor Emanuela Socciarelli expressed shock and offered her condolences to the boy’s family, calling the tragedy “unimaginable.”
• The Civitavecchia public prosecutor is examining whether the public beach had adequate safety measures as similar sand-pit accidents and recent fines for poor lifeguard coverage highlight wider coastal risks.