Snohomish Boy Dies When Cave Collapses

SNOHOMISH

A 12-year-old Snohomish boy was killed yesterday when a cave set in a steep embankment collapsed on top of him, burying him under 10 feet of sand.

Kyle Dean Raymond was playing about 5:40 p.m. with his 8-year-old brother, two neighbor children and his dog near his parents' home in the 14200 block of 141st Avenue Southeast when the accident occurred, said Jan Jorgensen, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County sheriff's office.

He apparently was digging tunnels in the walls of a washed-out area of the embankment when it collapsed, according to the Snohomish County medical examiner's office.

The children tried to get the boy out, then ran for help when their efforts failed, Jorgensen said. Neighbors responded with shovels and tried to dig him out along with sheriff's deputies and paramedics. After about 25 minutes, he was pronounced dead.