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Woman Found Buried on Beach Died When Sand Caved In

1 minute read

Officials said the death of a Texas woman on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland was accidental after she was found buried in sand on July 31.

Police cited reports from the medical examiners on Wednesday that said Ashley O’Connor, 30, suffocated under sand. Passersby saw only O’Connor’s arm around 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, and emergency services recovered her body from a large hole that sand filled in, the AP reports.

O’Connor had been vacationing with her family at the resort destination, and she had been separated from them around 2 a.m. on Monday when she was walking on the beach alone.

A spokesperson for the Ocean City police said they are still investigating whether she fell or voluntarily descended into the hole on her own before it was covered with sand, the New York Daily News reports.

[AP]

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Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com