Two 14-year-old boys were killed Sunday after a sand tunnel they were digging reportedly collapsed at a Florida park.
According to CBS affiliate WPEC, the incident happened in Inverness, a city north of Tampa.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said the teens were “enjoying the outdoors” when they suddenly disappeared while playing in the sand.
Neighbors identified the boys as George Watts and Derrick Hubbard. Both attended Inverness Middle School and were close friends, WPEC reported. Neighbor Zachariah Roberson, who knew both families, said the boys were “just being kids.”
“They were just playing in the sand. We always encourage our kids to get off tablets and electronics and go play outside, and that’s exactly what they were doing,” Roberson said.
Members of the Inverness community have since left flowers and letters near the park to support the Watts family. WPEC reported that George’s family decided to donate his organs.
In a message posted to Facebook, Inverness Middle School confirmed the deaths and said crisis support services were made available on campus.
“It is with great sadness that we inform our Charger community of a tragedy that occurred over the weekend involving two of our students following an off-campus incident,” the school wrote. “This situation has deeply affected many within our school and district community.”
The school said counselors, social workers and school psychologists will remain available throughout the week to support students and families.
A similar sand collapse happened 2024 in South Florida
The tragedy comes two years after a similar sand collapse incident in South Florida.
In 2024, a 7-year-old girl died after sand collapsed on her and her 8-year-old brother while they were visiting Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Authorities have not released additional details about Sunday’s incident as the investigation continues.
