Ocean City Beach Death Was Caused By Sand Collapse, Alcohol A Factor: Police

OCEAN CITY, MD - Police have concluded the investigation into the death of a woman on an Ocean City beach at the end of July and verified that the vacationer died by accident.

Ashley O'Connor, 30, climbed into a hole on the beach, sat down and never came out, according to the Ocean City Police Department.

At some point while she was seated in the hole - which was 3 to 4 feet deep - the sand around her collapsed and the hole caved in, burying O'Connor alive, police said. She was sitting when she was found deceased.

The medical examiner ruled her death accidental by asphyxiation caused by suffocation. (For updates on this and more local news, get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts.)

O'Connor - a vacationer from Plano, Texas - had been walking on the beach around 2 a.m. on Monday, July 31, in the area of Second Street, when she entered the hole and sat there alone.

"Detectives were unable to conclusively determine what caused the hole to collapse," police said in a statement on Thursday, Aug. 24. "However, no evidence of foul play was found in the investigation."

Authorities said that alcohol was a factor but since the death of O'Connor was ruled an accident, a complete toxicology report was not performed.

• Police ID Body Found On Ocean City Beach
• Woman Died On Ocean City Beach From Suffocation: Police

Tractors that clear the beach may have pushed sand into the hole, or the walls may have given way around O'Connor when she got inside, according to WTOP, which reported Ocean City Police Chief Ross Bozzuro told media at a press conference Thursday morning that "the only person that will know" is deceased.

O'Connor died sometime between 2 and 3 a.m., according to Delmarva Now, which reported she did not suffer any physical injuries other than suffocation.

Beach-goers reportedly discovered O'Connor after 6 a.m., noticing her hand poking out of the sand.