Florida man filming sunrise killed when sand dune collapses

Officials said the 35-year-old man's body was found on Hutchinson Island

Sand blown up by Hurricane Irma covers Beach Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2017. Reuters

A 35-year-old Florida man who was recording the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean died when a sand dune collapsed on top of him, sheriff's officials said.

A beachgoer saw a portion of the man's body protruding from the sand on Hutchinson Island early on Monday and called for help, Martin County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

Professor Alexandre Valance, of the Institute of Physics of Rennes, France, is a member of a group of scientists who studied sand dunes in the Gulf region and discovered dunes can breathe. The study findings were published in the 'Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface'. All photos: Michel Louge

The man was apparently beneath the dune while recording the sunrise when the hill of sand collapsed, detectives said. They said it appeared the man died as a result of being trapped underneath the sand.

Detectives do not suspect foul play, but they are awaiting results of toxicology tests before it can be confirmed as a “tragic accident,” the post said.

Hutchinson Island is north of West Palm Beach on Florida's Atlantic coast.

Updated: June 21, 2023, 7:15 AM