Florida teens buried alive in deadly sand tunnel collapse

A Florida assemblage is reeling from the deaths of 2 teenage champion friends who mislaid their lives portion enjoying a time successful the sand.

George Watts, 14, and Derrick Hubbard, 14, were digging a spread and passageway successful a sandpit adjacent Sportsman’s Park successful Inverness, astir 70 miles northbound of Tampa, connected Jan. 11, according to FOX 13. 

"They were conscionable kids," Corey Edwards, their manager and mentor successful the 352 Legends program, told the outlet. "They were conscionable kids doing what we effort to archer kids to do, get extracurricular and play."

When the spread was astir 5 feet deep, it reportedly collapsed connected the 2 teens. 

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Best friends George Watts and Derrick Hubbard, pictured arsenic younger children, were killed erstwhile their sandpit collapsed portion digging adjacent a parkland successful Inverness, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (GoFundMe)

According to a Citrus County Sheriff’s Office study obtained by FOX 13, their parents became disquieted erstwhile neither Watts nor Hubbard answered their cellphones during lunchtime and came to the country to hunt for them. 

Their parents reportedly located the boys’ bicycles and shoes by the sandpit, and instantly called for assistance arsenic they began digging. 

When archetypal responders recovered Hubbard, helium did not person a pulse and was transported to a hospital, wherever helium was pronounced dead. 

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A makeshift memorial stands wherever George Watts and Derrick Hubbard were killed erstwhile their sandpit collapsed portion they were playing astatine a section formation successful Inverness, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (FOX 13)

Watts was located with a pulse, but was unconscious and not breathing erstwhile helium was pulled from the sand. He was transported to a hospital, and aboriginal flown to UF Health Shands successful Gainesville successful captious condition, FOX 13 reported. 

He was pronounced dormant 2 days aboriginal astatine 4:25 a.m. Tuesday, according to the outlet.

Details regarding the magnitude of clip successful which the boys were trapped stay unclear. 

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George Watts and Derrick Hubbard were lifelong champion friends earlier some boys were killed erstwhile their sandpit collapsed portion they were playing astatine a section formation successful Inverness, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (GoFundMe)

"They were digging a hole," Edwards reportedly said. "They were having fun, being adventurous, utilizing their imagination. They're doing things that we preach to kids that we privation them to bash and, unfortunately, this conscionable turned into a tragedy."

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The 2 boys reportedly grew up unneurotic and were similar brothers. They had precocious celebrated winning the Citrus NFL Flag Football league championship, and are being remembered by loved ones arsenic ever being kind, comic and adventurous. 

"It truly killed a portion of each of us, losing them," Lina Bilodeau told FOX 13. "This is simply a symptom that volition ne'er subside. Born unneurotic and passed together. A existent relationship astir of america arsenic adults ne'er adjacent get to experience."