Sand crushed teenager to death in tunnelling accident on the dunes

Thursday 25 August 2016

An inquest into the death of 14-year-old boy Eoin Corcoran today heard how he died after the sand dune he was digging a hole in collapsed on him.

The boy and a friend had been playing at the base of the “100-footer dune” near Le Braye towards the end of the day on Friday, February 5th earlier this year when the tunnel they were digging fell in.

Giving evidence, a medical expert said it was likely the sheer weight of sand crushed the boy and prevented him breathing.

His friend desperately tried to dig him out but was in a state of panic. It was also difficult because he didn’t have a spade and had to use his hands. Added to that, because the tunnel had been dug at an angle the boy was stuck head first with only his legs sticking out.

It was now getting dark, and despite the friend’s shouting for help no one came to his assistance. One dog walker told the inquest he’d noticed the youngsters but he thought they were just “mucking around.” He had seen the legs sticking out, but, because his view was obscured by a nearby dune, there was no indication the boy was trapped. The shouting was indistinct and sounded as if they were “messing around – it certainly didn’t sound as if they were in trouble." It was only after the dog walker read something on facebook the following day that he “put two and two together” and contacted police about what he’d seen.

The boy’s friend then ran for help and found a second dog walker. Matthew Robins told the court the youngster ran towards him shouting “help, help me.” He looked drained and was hyperventilating. A mixture of confusion and the sheer effort of having to run up the dune had left the youngster shattered.

Mr Robins told the court he knew time was not on his side. He calculated the youngster had now been buried for around five minutes. Together with the friend Mr Robins ran back to the base of the dune. He tried unsuccessfully to find a pulse in the leg. He then started clawing away with his bare hands to free the boy. When that didn’t work they grabbed a leg each. Mr Robins said he pulled so hard he felt he was going to dislocate the youngster’s leg. Mr Robbins then used his mobile to call the emergency service and carried out CPR for half an hour until the experts arrived.

They continued to try and revive the boy and rushed him to hospital where more emergency treatment was carried out. He was officially declared dead later that night.