Florida man dies in sand dune collapse while photographing sunrise on Hutchinson Island

(Cover photo, Image credit: Hutchinson Island / Facebook)

On August 8, Florida’s Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced that a man was found dead and buried in the sand on the beach just south of the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island.  Detectives say that the man was a resident of Stuart, Florida, and that his death was likely an accident.

Investigators identified 37-year-old Sean Alexander Nagel, of Stuart, as the man who died.  A woman surveying the beach for turtle nesting sites found Nagel dead after seeing a part of his body protruding from the sand … ~ TC Palm

That early morning beachgoer noticed a portion of the victim’s body protruding from the sand and called for help. It appears that the man died hours earlier from asphyxia as a result of being trapped underneath the sand.  First responders tried to resuscitate the accident victim, but to no avail.

Detectives said that no foul play was evident and it appears that the victim was resting underneath a sand dune while taking video of a sunrise; but the dune collapsed trapping him underneath. Investigators are awaiting toxicology tests, which is standard. Those tests, however, are not likely to change the outcome of this incident being a tragic accident, according to the sheriff’s office.

(Source: MCSO)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter