His feet were spotted sticking out of the sand
A man has tragically died after being buried alive by a sand dune while trying to capture a sunrise on his camera, officials believe.
Sean Nagel’s body was found underneath the sand at Rock Beach on Hutchinson Island in Florida on Monday morning. He was only 37-years-old.
A researcher was conducting a survey of turtle nests on the beach when he spotted Nagel’s feet and ankles sticking out of the sand.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 9am but were sadly unable to resuscitate him and Nagel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nagel is thought to have died from asphyxiation hours before his body was discovered. No foul play is suspected.
Following Nagel’s death, police confirmed that a GoPro camera was found next to the body, which was pointing towards the east.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office said: “It appears that the victim was resting underneath a sand dune while taking video of a sunrise, but the dune collapsed trapping him underneath.”
Officials did not confirm whether the camera managed to capture Nagel’s final moments.
While police are still waiting for the results of a toxicology test to come through, a statement from the Sheriff Office noted that the tests “are not likely to change the outcome of this incident being a tragic accident.”
Tragically, this is not the first time somebody has died in a sand dune accident this year.
A 13-year-old was killed while trying to dig a tunnel in Utah in May, and two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were killed digging a 10-foot hole in New Jersey around the same time.
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