Father Of 18-Year-Old Killed In Sand Collapse On Toms River Beach Shares Message Remembering Son

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (CBS) -- A community is mourning after an 18-year-old visiting the Jersey Shore from Maine died when the sand hole he and his sister dug on the beach collapsed. Eyewitness News is learning new details about the tragic accident.

It happened in Toms River on Ocean Beach between East Bonita and Penguin Ways.

CBS3 spoke with firefighters who tried to rescue the teen.

Firefighters identified the teen who was killed as Levi Caverly.

First responders were able to rescue his sister who was trapped from the waist down.

Tom's River Fire District 1 Commissioner Len Minkler was part of the rescue efforts.

"I feel for them really bad and that you know they're not from new jersey so there's nobody here for their support right now," Minkler said. "It's just terrible to come to the beautiful jersey shore and have this family. it's terrible."

The father of the 18-year-old teenager who died after sand collapsed on him and his sister in Toms River issued a statement on Facebook remembering his son on Wednesday. Below is the full statement from Todd Caverly on his son, Levi.

"Levi was himself. He was odd. He was quirky. He was not real concerned with what others thought. He knew Jesus Christ. 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. The truth is that Scripture says that all our days are numbered. That there is nothing we can do to add a single hour to our life. He knew that. Matthew 6:25-34."
Levi was spending the day with his family from Maine when the incident happened. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as he and his 17-year-old sister became trapped in the sand.

Police say the siblings were reportedly digging a large hole when it collapsed. One man who assisted in the rescue effort says the hole appeared to be around 6 feet deep, and that many people tried to dig the two out.

The girl was eventually rescued. But Levi could not be saved.

The community in Toms River is in disbelief after the tragedy.

"My heart completely goes out to that family," Gina Oras, of Toms River, said. "We were in prayer earlier with my family. My son was at work in Seaside, and he's an 18-year-old also, so it was really just, I'm still shaken up about it."

Toms River Fire District 1's Chief Administrator Brian Kubiel says with summer approaching families need to be careful.

"Please don't dig any deeper than knee deep because at any given time the tides can change," Kubiel said. "The sand can collapse and ultimately result in some kind of entrapment."

Caverly's school released a statement describing him as an "incredible young man."

The family is expected back in Maine this afternoon.

CBS3's Brandon Goldner contributed to this report.

Eyewitness News will have more at 4 p.m.

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