TOMS RIVER, N.J. — An 18-year-old male died while playing with his sister at a New Jersey beach when a large hole they were digging in the sand collapsed, police said.

His sister was also trapped but was rescued and treated at the scene, the Toms River Police Department said in a statement. One man who assisted in the rescue effort says the hole appeared to be around 6 feet deep, and that many people tried to dig the two out.

It said police and emergency medical personnel were sent to the beach entrance on the barrier island shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The family was visiting from Maine.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)