Inverness, Florida – A tragic accident at a park in Citrus County has left two middle school students dead after a sand tunnel they were digging collapsed, turning what began as a normal day of play into a devastating loss for their families and community. Authorities say the incident highlights the hidden dangers of sand collapses, especially in areas with fine, dry sand.
Search Effort Led Deputies to Park
According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the victims—George Watts and Derrick Hubbard, both 14—were reported missing after they failed to return home around noon on Sunday. Parents were able to ping the location of one of the boys’ phones, which helped deputies identify a sportsman’s park near Inverness as the last known location.
Local reporting by the Citrus County Chronicle revealed that deputies responded to the park and discovered the teens had been digging a tunnel in so-called “sugar sand,” a fine, white sand common in Florida that can collapse suddenly when dry.
Both boys were rushed to the hospital but later died from their injuries, according to officials cited by Citrus County Chronicle.
Families Describe Lifelong Friendship
A GoFundMe set up for the families described George Watts and Derrick Hubbard as lifelong best friends who were rarely apart. In a post shared by Jasmine Watts, the boys were remembered as inseparable and full of curiosity and dreams for the future.
“On January 11, 2026, the unimaginable nightmare that every parent fears became our reality,” the post read, emphasizing the deep bond the two teens shared.
School Community Responds to Loss
Both boys attended Inverness Middle School, where administrators said the tragedy has deeply affected students and staff across the district. The school confirmed that crisis counselors and psychologists were made available on campus throughout the week to support grieving classmates and families.
Why Sand Tunnels Can Turn Deadly
Experts say sand collapses, while uncommon, are more dangerous than many people realize. Florida International University professor of coastal science Stephen P. Leatherman has previously explained that sand is held together by surface tension when wet, but becomes unstable as it dries.
As dry sand shifts, tunnels and deep holes can collapse without warning, burying victims in seconds. First responders warn that even shallow collapses can cause suffocation or crush injuries before help arrives.
Emergency teams across the country regularly train for sand rescue scenarios, but many incidents still end in tragedy due to how quickly collapses occur.
Past Incidents Show Pattern of Risk
Recent years have seen multiple close calls and fatalities involving sand collapses:
- In December, a young girl in The Woodlands, Texas, was rescued after being trapped up to her head when a sandbar collapsed.
- In September 2025, lifeguards and beachgoers saved two children buried in a sand hole at Newport Beach, California, as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles.
- In 2024, a 7-year-old girl died and her brother was hospitalized after a six-foot-deep sand hole collapsed at a Florida beach.
Researchers and first responders note that most fatal sand collapse incidents involve holes deeper than knee height and often occur within minutes, leaving little time for rescue.
Warnings for Parents and Children
First aid and rescue teams consistently urge parents to warn children and teens against digging deep holes or tunnels in sand. Being buried can quickly lead to asphyxiation, even before visible signs of collapse appear.
The deaths of George Watts and Derrick Hubbard have renewed calls from safety experts for greater awareness about the dangers of sand play, particularly in dry conditions where collapses are most likely.
