Distraught dad & beachgoers dug with bare hands for 40mins to find boy, 17, dead in collapsed sand tunnel teen had dug
Riccardo Boni
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Riccardo Boni died after being buried alive in a sand tunnel
Credit: Google
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His dad, beachgoers and lifeguards began furiously digging while they waited for emergency services to arrive
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The tragedy unfolded on Montalto di Castro beach, on the border of the Tarquinia region
Credit: Google
The family, who were at Montalto di Castro beach - 65 miles from the Italian capital, at first struggled to locate Riccardo.
It took 40 minutes for family members to find the teen, according to local reports.
Lifeguards and rescuers were called to join in on the frantic search.
His five-year-old brother screamed: 'Riccardo is under the sand" - prompting the children's dad to sound the alarm.
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Two days earlier, the teen had travelled from Rome to Camping California - a camping ground in the beach town in northern Lazio - to spend the holidays with his parents, 14-year-old sister and two younger brothers, aged five and eight.
The family had laid out their towels on the sand next to the camping ground when the tragedy took place at around 3 pm, according to local reports.
Riccardo had started digging the hole in a somewhat secluded area of the beach with his siblings, who then became distracted and moved away.
The teen is believed to have dug the tunnel to a depth of around five feet.
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A beachgoer told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: 'He had built a tunnel but maybe when he was underneath, everything collapsed on him.'
They added: 'You couldn't see anything from the beach, the hole was gone, no one could see that he was under there.
Boy, 17, dies on beach after being buried alive in hole in sand he dug
"Everyone was digging but the sand was heavy."
Local prosecutors from the town of Civitavecchia and police have opened an investigation into the boy's death.
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Investigators will decide whether an autopsy should be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Carabinieri police have interviewed family members and other witnesses.
Montalto Mayor Emanuela Socciarelli told the news agency ANSA: "A tragedy that has left us all shocked.
"It's unthinkable that a young man could lose his life in this way.
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"I want to offer my sincere condolences to this family, to whom we are all truly deeply connected."
All public events have been suspended today to "join in silent embrace with the family".
Local authorities said: "Deepest condolences for the tragic passing of the young man. In such a time of great grief, we extend our deepest sympathies to the boy's parents and family, affected by this terrible tragedy.
"As a sign of respect, all public events scheduled for Friday, July 11, are suspended.
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"The community of Montalto joins in silent embrace with the family."
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