George Watts and Derrick Hubbard, Florida teen best friends die after sand hole tunnel collapses burying them alive in Inverness, Citrus County.
It should’ve been another day of childhood adventure…. Two teenage boys and best friends have died after a sand hole tunnel they were building at a Florida park collapsed and buried them alive.
George Watts and Derrick Hubbard, both 14, were digging a 5-foot-deep hole in the sand at Sportsman Park in Inverness on Sunday when the pit suddenly caved in, trapping them inside, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and Medical Examiners told ABC.
Concern grew at the boys failed to return home for lunch with their parents discovering the boys’ bikes and shoes by the sandpit, with no sight of the teens. After fearing the worst, they called authorities and started digging, according to Fox13.
Soft sand tunnel collapses and buries teen best friends alive, killing them
Deputies, firefighters, and emergency medical services swarmed the park and tried to rescue the boys from the collapsed hole, cops said.
Less than an hour later, Hubbard and Watts were pulled out of the sand, given CPR, and taken to a local hospital, according to police. Hubbard was pronounced dead on Sunday, and Watts was pronounced dead at the hospital later on Tuesday afternoon, authorities added.
It is unclear exactly how long the two boys were buried in the sand. It was later revealed the boys were digging in ‘soft sand’ leading up to the tragedy. The boys had been digging a tunnel into a mound of fine, powdery sand — commonly referred to as sugar sand — a type of soil known for its instability.
Investigators said the best friends had been working on the tunnel for roughly two weeks, carving several feet into the sand pile. On January 11, the structure gave way without warning, collapsing inward and trapping both teens underneath.
Florida community rocked amid childhood adventure gone wrong
Watts’s mother, Jasmine Watts, described the two boys as best friends who shared an inseparable bond.
‘In a tragic accident, we lost our oldest son, George Watts, and his best friend, Derrick Hubbard. These two boys shared a bond that went beyond friendship — they were inseparable, full of life, curiosity, and dreams for the future,’ Jasmine Watts wrote in a GoFundMe statement for her son’s funeral and medical expenses.
‘While playing together, the boys dug a tunnel in sugar sand and were inside when it suddenly collapsed. In an instant, our world was shattered,’ she said.
‘What should have been another day of childhood adventure turned into a heartbreaking loss that no parent should ever have to endure. Our precious boys were taken from us far too soon,’ the statement continued.
The two boys attended Iverness Middle School, which will provide counseling services to students following the ‘tragedy.’
‘This situation has deeply affected many within our school and district community,’ the school said in a statement.
As the investigation continues, officials are urging parents to talk to children about the risks of digging in sand and soil, stressing that what may seem like harmless play can turn deadly in seconds.
