Irish teen dies in Australian beach tragedy

A 14-year-old Irish boy died on an Australian beach when a hole he was digging in wet sand collapsed on him.

Michael Brannigan, from Co Kilkenny, had dug a large hole on Noosa Beach, a popular resort in Queensland state, yesterday, when the sides of the hole caved in.

The boy’s mother discovered he was missing after she returned from an afternoon swim. She appealed to bystanders who dug desperately in the spot where he was last seen.

But they took almost 30 minutes to uncover him and ambulance officers who were unable to revive Michael pronounced him dead on the scene.

Elissa Keenan, a spokeswoman for Surf Life Saving Queensland, said the boy’s death was a tragedy.

‘‘We urge people to be very mindful of their own safety at the beach regardless of whether they are in the water or out of the water (as both) are unstable environments,’’ she said.