Australian man, 23, dies after being buried in sand 'in hole dug to roast a pig'
8 December 2023, 11:48
An Australian man has died after falling into a hole at the beach and getting buried with sand.
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Josh Taylor, 23, was at a camp on a beach in Bribie Island, Queensland, on Saturday when he fell into a pit that is believed to have been dug for a pig roast.
About 15 people had to haul him out of the sand and wildlife rangers carried out CPR before paramedics could arrive.
He was airlifted to hospital but died on Thursday, as his devastated family - including parents Peter and Belinda - confirmed they had turn his life support off.
"Unfortunately, the injuries he received were too severe for him to overcome," they said, describing him as the "best son, brother, boyfriend and mate we could all have wished for".
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They said he had "fought as hard as he could and is the most courageous person we will ever know".
One witness said Mr Taylor had lost his footing after standing up from his chair and fell into the hole, which was about 5ft deep.
The walls of the pit then collapsed onto him.
Eyewitness Nathan was leaving the beach with his family when he saw men calling for help as they tried to get Mr Taylor out.
"When I first went up to the hole, I couldn't even see his foot. That's how deep it was," he said.
Mr Taylor's family was yelling for rope to get him out.
But when the group pulled him out, the force needed to hoist him out might have injured him more, Nathan said.
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Authorities are now investigating what happened.
A GoFundMe was set up to raise money for Mr Taylor, and it passed $60,000 (£31,000) by the time he died.
One donator, Ryan Wood, said: "Condolences to you all, please reach out to your extended firefighter family if you need anything. We will be there for you."
Another wrote: "Such a tragedy for both the Taylor and Odri family and all who held Josh close to their hearts."
