Levi Caverly.Photo: Facebook
A family is mourning the death of 18-year-old Levi Caverly, who was killed on Tuesday after he and his sister became trapped in the sand on a New Jersey beach.
The teens were “reportedly digging a large hole when it collapsed and trapped both of them. Emergency crews from neighboring towns also responded to the scene to assist in rescue efforts,” said a statement from the Toms River Police Department posted toFacebookTuesday.
“The 17 year old female victim was rescued and treated at the scene, but her brother Levi Caverly, 18 of Union Maine, tragically died in the collapse,” they wrote.
After an hours-long effort, Levi’s body was recovered around 7 p.m., according toNJ.com.
In an interview conducted on Wednesday, mom Angela Caverly said her daughter — who was treated for minor injuries — was doing physically “ok.”
“She’s helping drive us home right now,” she told NJ Advance Media, per NJ.com.
“This was our first time (in Toms River). We came to try to have a family vacation,” added Angela, who shared of her son, “we know he’s with Jesus and smiling down on us.”
Beach in Toms River.Getty
“Levi was himself. He was odd. He was quirky,” Todd Caverly wrote in a statement onFacebook. “He was involved in the worship team at church, and was the drummer in a teen/ young adult worship band. He was a tech nut and loved to program.
“Thank you all for praying. Please don’t stop,” he wrote in another post. “Levi Caverly, there are not words to express my love for you.”
In astatement, Toms River Mayor Maurice B. “Mo” Hill said the entire community is “heartbroken” for the family.
“The Jersey Shore is a place where families come to make memories, bond and enjoy all that the beach has to offer. This tragedy is a reminder to us all to be vigilant for our loved ones safety,” Hill wrote.
“Let me remind all of our beach goers, visitors and locals, to never dig more than knee deep in the sand,” Hill continued. “Doing so puts yourself and others at risk.”
source: people.com
