A day at the beach has turned to tragedy for the family of a 7-year-old boy who died after a hole he was digging collapsed on him at a Northland beach.
District operations manager for St John Ambulance Tony Devanney said the boy was digging a hole at about 1.30pm on Pataua South beach when the sand collapsed on him, suffocating him.
Beach-goers and ambulance staff attempted to resuscitate the boy, but he could not be saved, Mr Devanney said.
