Father-of-Four Killed After Sand Dune Collapse at Muriwai Beach in Front of Family

Kane Watson has been killed after a sand dune collapsed and buried him alive

A father-of-four has died after a sand dune collapsed and buried him alive while his young family looked on in horror.

Kane Watson, 28, was playing with his partner, three stepsons, and 18-month-old daughter at Muriwai Beach, located 40km northwest of Auckland, New Zealand, when the tragic accident occurred.

At around 5pm on Saturday, Kane was digging a hole in the sand when the dune suddenly gave way, trapping him beneath a heavy load. Witnesses described hearing the piercing screams of his children as they tried frantically to dig him out.

Kane was playing with his three stepsons, 18-month-old daughter and his partner on a beach when he was suddenly swallowed up by the dune

One woman who rushed over with her husband to help said the rescue attempt was extremely difficult due to the position of the dune. “We were on the side of a steep, soft sand dune just above the estuary, which made it extremely difficult to balance,” she said. Kane was trapped for more than 15 minutes before being freed.

He was airlifted to Auckland City Hospital in critical condition but died on Sunday from his injuries. The tragedy comes as Kane and his partner, Jasmine, were expecting their second child together in the coming months.

Emergency services rushed to the beach in New Zealand as Kane was airlifted to hospital before dying shortly afterwards

Jasmine expressed her devastation, saying: “To have witnessed such a tragedy and now face life without him is almost unbearable. Kane was a much-loved son, brother, partner and, above all, a devoted father. His greatest joy was being with his children—not only his own, but also the kids he cared for and loved as if they were his own. Most heartbreakingly, his youngest child, due early next year, will never get to meet him, but will grow up hearing stories of the incredible man who loved them before they were born. Kane's absence leaves a hole that can never be filled.”

His sister, Shaquille, also paid tribute to her “favourite person,” saying his death has “completely shattered” her. “He was just an amazing dad. I guess that's where it's like just the most heartbreaking thing.”

The tragedy recalls other similar fatal sand dune collapses. In 2021, 10-year-old Arthur Correa Nunes was buried alive in Brazil when a dune collapsed on him while playing with friends. Years earlier, 14-year-old Eoin Corcoran died after being crushed when a sand dune collapsed as he tunneled inside to shelter from the wind.