TOMS RIVER, NJ – A teenager from Maine died on Tuesday at the Jersey Shore as he and his sister became trapped after a hole they were digging on the beach in Ocean Beach collapsed around them.
According to the Toms River Police, the boy died in the collapse, but his sister was rescued in time by first responders.
Police reported that at approximately 4:09 p.m., multiple police and EMS units were dispatched to the beach entrance near Seaview Road on the barrier island in the Ocean Beach III section of town for reports of two teens trapped in the sand.
“The family was visiting from out of town and spent the afternoon at the beach. The teens were reportedly digging a large hole when it collapsed and trapped both of them,” Toms River Police spokesperson Jillian Messina said in a statement. “Emergency crews from neighboring towns also responded to the scene to assist in rescue efforts.”
Messina reported the 17-year-old female victim was rescued and treated at the scene, but her brother Levy Caverley, 18 of Maine, tragically died in the collapse.
Other agencies assisting in and responding to the rescue were Toms River EMS, Toms River Fire Companies, Toms River Fire Technical Rescue Team, Lavallette Fire Company, Lavallette Police Department, Lavallette Public Works, Seaside Heights Fire Company, Toms River Police Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sherriff CIU, and the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.
Ocean Beach III is a privately owned beach community with private beach access that is not operated or guarded by the Township of Toms River.