Overview

• A 7-year-old girl from Indiana died after being buried by sand at a beach in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, while digging a hole with her brother.
• Her brother was hospitalized after being pulled out alive from the collapsed hole.
• Experts warn that digging deep holes in the sand is dangerous and potentially deadly, with incidents occurring more frequently than people realize.
• A Harvard study detailed 52 cases over a 10-year period where people were buried by collapsing dry-sand holes, 31 of which were fatal.
• Lifeguards advise never digging holes deeper than the knee of the youngest person in the group to prevent such tragedies.