Teen Who Died In NJ Sand Collapse Loved Music, Tech, Father Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — As the family of a Maine 18-year-old mourns his death after he was trapped on a Toms River beach in a sand collapse, local authorities are urging beachgoers to be aware of the dangers posed by digging holes on the beach, in hopes of preventing future tragedies.

Levi Caverly, 18, of Union, Maine, died in the collapse that happened on the beach in Ocean Beach III, in the Chadwick Beach section of Toms River, authorities said. Caverly’s 17-year-old sister, who had been digging with him, was rescued and was treated at the scene, police said.

“Levi was himself,” his father, Todd Caverly, said in a statement to news outlets posted to his Facebook page. “He was odd. He was quirky. He was not real concerned with what others thought. He knew Jesus Christ. He was involved in the worship team at church, and was the drummer in a teen/ young adult worship band. He was a tech nut and loved to program.”

Levi’s mother, Angela, told NJ.com that Levi was teaching himself computer programming, after completing homeschooling.

"He loved music and was playing drums in a praise band at our church," his mother said.

Todd Caverly said the family was headed home to Maine on Wednesday to be with their church family for comfort.

"Thank you all for praying. Please don't stop," he wrote. "Levi Caverly, there are not words to express my love for you."

"The truth is that Scripture says that all our days are numbered. That there is nothing we can do to add a single hour to our life," Todd Caverly said. “He knew that. Matthew 6:25-34.”

Angela Caverly told NJ.com the family is grateful for everyone who tried to help their son and who rescued their daughter.

“Toms River is heartbroken for the Caverly family for the loss of young Levi,” Mayor Maurice B. “Mo” Hill said Wednesday. “I can’t imagine the pain that they must be experiencing.”

The family had been on vacation and were staying in a bungalow in Ocean Beach III, authorities and the NJ.com report said.

“The Ocean Beach Volunteer Fire Company and all of our first responders offer our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones,” said Drew Calvo, chief of the fire company, the lead company on the scene.

“It was an amazing effort by all of our first responders and bystanders to try and rescue these children,” Calvo said. “Although our outcome was not what we had hoped for, we had great success in the rescue of one.”

The collapse completely buried Levi, while his sister was trapped up to her chest, said Kevin Geoghegan of the Silverton EMS, who responded to the collapse from a call in East Dover and was among the first on the scene.

“There were two Toms River police officers and two Lavallette police officers on their hands and knees digging out the kids with their hands and their police shovels,” said Geoghegan, who also is the Toms River council president, when he and East Dover Fire Company Assistant Chief Travis Veth arrived.

Authorities said the teens had been using Frisbees to dig, and that Levi appeared to be crouching down when the sand collapsed around them.

Geoghegan said the hole was about 8 feet wide by 8 feet deep when rescuers arrived. The sister initially was completely covered but rescuers had cleared the sand to her chest as additional first responders arrived.

Geoghegan said authorities believe a sinkhole opened beneath the teens as they were digging, in part because where Levi was found was farther from where his sister told rescuers she felt him.

"He was five or six feet down," Geoghegan said.

Sinkholes can form on the beaches after storms, particularly ones like the Mother’s Day weekend nor’easter that caused significant erosion along several Jersey Shore beaches. An October 2019 storm caused so many sinkholes authorities closed access to several beaches because of the danger they posed.

"It explains how it got so deep so quick," Geoghegan said.

Hill, in a statement Wednesday afternoon, said the sand is not compact, a result of the storms and beach replenishment work.

"Some call it 'sugar sand,' " Hill said.

While police and firefighters and bystanders were digging to recover Levi’s body, backboards from the EMS ambulances were used to try to prevent the sand from collapsing on the first responders, Geoghegan said, until the Toms River Technical Rescue Team arrived and took over.

"They are specifically equipped for these situations," he said.

A backhoe that was seen in photos of the scene was brought in by Lavallette Public Works. Geoghegan said it was used to move sand away from the hole that the first responders were removing to reach Levi’s body, to keep the sand from piling up too high around the rescue site.

It took more than two hours of work by first responders to recover Levi’s body.

Calvo said the accident is a reminder to everyone about safety on the beach.

"When digging a sand hole, to be safe only dig one ankle or knee-deep, so that if the sand collapses, you can easily escape," Calvo said.

Digging deep holes not only poses a danger of collapse but also poses a danger to other beach visitors and to fire officials and emergency medical services, who frequently ride along the beaches during the day.

"We want to make sure this does not happen to someone else," Calvo said.

"I commend all of our first responders who fought hard to save Levi and were able to rescue his sister," Hill said. "I know that they are devastated that they could not rescue Levi. The joy of saving the sister is mixed with heartbreak."

"The Jersey Shore is a place where families come to make memories, bond and enjoy all that the beach has to offer," Hill said. "This tragedy is a reminder to us all to be vigilant for our loved ones' safety in surf and on sand."

"When our lifeguards are present they scan the beach during usual rounds for any digging lower than knee-deep," Hill said. "They stop patrons from digging and fill the holes. They scan the beach at the end of shift for any holes left and then fill them."

“Tragically, this incident happened off-season when the beach was unprotected by our staff of lifeguards," Hill said. "But even during the season, I implore all of our visitors, if you’re going to dig, dig only knee-deep."

The following agencies and organizations responded: Silverton EMS, Toms River EMS, Toms River Fire Companies, Toms River Fire Technical Rescue Team, Lavallette Fire Company, Lavallette Police Department, Lavallette Public Works, Seaside Heights Fire Company, Toms River Police Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff CIU, and the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.