Muriwai Beach sand dune collapse

The story so far

A man was trapped under a collapsed sand dune at Muriwai Beach on Saturday afternoon, and emergency services were called at about 5pm.^{23, 24 Aug 2025} Reports said he had been digging a hole in the dune when it collapsed on him, leaving him buried for about 15 minutes, while another report said he was playing with his family.^{24, 25 Aug 2025} He was airlifted to an Auckland hospital in critical condition.^{23, 24, 25 Aug 2025}

Latest

The 28-year-old man died in hospital on Sunday morning.^{25 Aug 2025}

Key moments

1. 23 Aug 2025Person trapped under collapsed sand dune at Muriwai Beach; airlifted in critical condition.
2. 24 Aug 2025Man reportedly buried for 15 minutes while digging a hole in the dune.
3. 25 Aug 2025Man died in hospital on Sunday morning after the dune collapse.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.