Irving man dies after tunnel collapse on Florida beach

Lee Goggin of Irving was pronounced dead Tuesday, two days after being buried when a sand dune collapsed on him on a beach near St. Augustine, Fla., according to family members.

Rachel Goggin Burt announced the passing of her older brother Tuesday afternoon on her Facebook page saying, “It is with great sorrow and sadness that I write this. My precious, big brother is with Jesus.”

Goggin, a 35-year-old personal trainer, was with family at Crescent Beach on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Early Sunday afternoon he was digging a tunnel by hand in the dunes while his wife Courtney shot video at the beach. At some point the tunnel collapsed on Goggin. Family members tried to uncover him and 911 was called.

Emergency personnel responded to a call of a sand collapse at the beach. St. John’s County Fire Rescue units cleared approximately 2-3 feet of sand before removing Goggin, who was unconscious. Lifesaving procedures were administered and he was taken to a St. Augustine hospital in critical condition.

He remained there until his death.

In July 2014, Goggin was battling end-stage kidney disease. He received a kidney transplant in a six-hour surgery at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth with his brother, Aaron, as the donor.

“It’s something he would have done if the situation was flipped and I was the one who was needing it,” Aaron said at the time. “He would have been there for me.”

Lee Goggin had about 10 percent function from his kidneys and was on dialysis before the transplant. He promised to treasure his brother’s gift.

“I just want to make sure that I take care of the kidney as well as possible so it lasts for a really long time,” Lee Goggin said after the transplant.

This story contains material from The Associated Press.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Irving man dies after tunnel collapse on Florida beach ."