FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A tragic incident at a Florida beach has left a 7-year-old girl dead and an 8-year-old boy hospitalized. According to firefighters, the children were buried under sand after a hole they were digging suddenly collapsed on Tuesday afternoon in the town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the children were digging the hole with others when the sand collapsed and buried them. The boy was trapped up to his chest, while the girl was completely buried beneath him. Despite the efforts of bystanders and paramedics, the young girl did not survive. She was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.
Fire Rescue spokesperson Sandra King described the devastating scene, stating, “We were conducting life-saving techniques to try to bring her pulse back, and it never did recover.” Meanwhile, the boy’s parents carried him to a Broward Sheriff’s Office car, and he was rushed to a hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m., and authorities have reported that the hole was about five to six feet deep prior to its collapse.
The tragic accident has left the community in shock and grief. Authorities have not disclosed whether the children were local residents or visitors, and the Sheriff’s office is currently investigating the incident.