City boy dies in sand pile collapse (Updates name)

These sandpiles are where an 11-year-old North Bay boy died when one of them collapsed on him. Photo by Marc Archambault
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An 11-year-old North Bay boy has died after the sand pile he was playing in collapsed.

While the North Bay Police Service has not released the name of the boy, The Nugget reported Tuesday, nieghbours, The Nugget stated in its story about the incident, identified him as Mathieu Renaud.

The Nugget story also stated police, the Ontario Labaour Ministry and the coroner's office are investigating the accident.

Shaun Kennedy, who lives behind Renaud's house on Gormanville Road, said he arrived on the scene as Renaud's mother and several other people dug the boy out of the metre-high pile of sand.

"I saw her giving her son CPR and I was trying to calm down his sister," Kennedy said.

It's not known yet who the pile of sand, one of two on the site, belongs to.

"It was just as is with no barricades, nothing," Kennedy said.

"It's just like an invitation for kids to come and play in it."

While Kennedy didn't know Renaud, he said he'd heard the boy was "outgoing" and happy-go-lucky.

"This is a very tragic thing, particularly when you're right there watching," Kennedy said.

"It really makes you think."





Photos by Marc Archambault