A teenage boy from southern Utah is dead after a sand dune collapsed on top of him last weekend, state park officials said.
Rangers at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Kanab said in a news release they believe 13-year-old Ian Spendlove had been digging a tunnel in the side of a dune when it gave way, trapping him under the sand.
Around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, a family member of Ian’s who saw the tunnel collapse notified park rangers and other visitors, who started digging immediately to try and locate the boy, the news release states. A state park law enforcement ranger and deputies with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office pitched in with shovels.
Ian was found about 20 minutes later, under 6 1/2 feet of sand. First responders administered CPR and found that he had a pulse. He was flown in a helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital and then to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.
But by Sunday, Ian hadn’t regained brain activity and was declared dead, officials said.
“The Utah Division of State Parks extends our condolences to Ian Spendlove’s friends and family impacted by this tragedy,” officials said in the release.
The boy’s death remains under investigation.
The dunes at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park are made from the erosion of pink Navajo sandstone, according to tourism website Utah.com. It’s also a popular spot for ATV riders.
In 2018, a 13-year-old boy from Eagle Mountain was killed when the four-wheeler he was riding at the state park went over a dune and tumbled down the other side.
