“I kept them within sight… Riccardo was 5 foot, 7 inches. The hole was about 5 feet deep,” he said, adding, “He must have collapsed… Why didn’t I hear him?”
A 17-year-old boy, Riccardo Boni, died after being buried alive while digging a hole at a beach in Montalto di Castro, Italy, on July 10. The teen was vacationing with his family when the five-foot-deep hole he was digging collapsed.
According to Il Messaggero, Riccardo’s father said, “He didn’t even have time to scream.” He told Corriere Della Sera that Riccardo was digging with his two younger brothers, who later went to play in the water.
“I kept them within sight… Riccardo was 5 foot, 7 inches. The hole was about 5 feet deep,” he said, adding, “He must have collapsed… Why didn’t I hear him?”
After a 40-minute search, a sibling suggested Riccardo might be buried. His father, lifeguards, and others dug with their hands and found him unresponsive. Emergency responders were unable to revive him.
Authorities have opened a case and are considering an autopsy.