BURIED ALIVE

13-Year-Old Boy Playing in Utah Sand Dunes Killed in Tunnel He Was Digging

Ian Spendlove died after tunnel he was digging at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park collapsed on top of him.

A 13-year-old boy was killed after a tunnel he was digging in the sand dunes of a Utah state park collapsed on top of him, leaving him trapped. Ian Spendlove, from Santa Clara, was playing in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park on Saturday afternoon when a family member saw the tunnel he had dug in the side of a dune collapse on him. A Parks Service spokesman He was dug out about 25 minutes later and flown to hospital in first St. George and then Salt Lake City, but died Sunday. A Utah State Parks spokesman said the tragedy underlined the need for visitors to make safety a priority: “Always recreate with a buddy, wear your life jackets and helmets, and always let somebody know where you are going and when to expect your return.”