Questions have been raised over the tragic death of the man who was buried alive in a giant sandbox on the beach and died six days after being pulled free by rescuers.
Josh Taylor, 23, had his life support machine switched off on Thursday after he suffered horrific injuries on Bribie Island in Queensland's Moreton Bay on December 2.
Mr Taylor and the group he was with are said to have dug the 1.5 meter deep hole to roast a pig, but locals have cast doubt on that claim as fires are banned on the island's beaches.
They claim the group may have been hunting the island's wild pigs and were actually digging a sand trap to try to catch one of the wild boars when the accident happened.
Detectives have now launched a criminal investigation into the death.
Taylor fell into a sand hole on Bribie Island in Queensland on December 2
Josh Taylor's life support was switched off on Thursday after he suffered horrific injuries on Bribie Island in Queensland's Moreton Bay on December 2 (Josh is pictured with his family)
Mr Taylor is said to have fallen into the hole when he tripped and lost his balance as he got out of a chair, his flailing arms bringing down the walls on top of him.
The Brisbane man was buried headfirst, with his ankles barely visible to rescuers who tried to pull him out after their attempts to dig him out failed.
But the weight of the sand and the suction created as they pulled at him meant that even the brute force of fifteen men pulling a rope around his feet couldn't free him.
An off-duty paramedic advised the rescue crew to try moving in a different direction, eventually freeing him.
But one rescuer, passerby Nathan, said Mr Taylor's body 'broke' when he was released.
'His whole family was shouting at us, telling us to help, to get a rope so we could pull him out. It was pretty horrific,” Nathan said.
“There were about fifteen guys pulling the rope and he wouldn't budge. It was quite intense when he jumped out. I threw up.
'He broke. The suction, the power of everyone who pulls.'
Mr Taylor had no pulse when he was released, but rangers, friends and family performed CPR for 45 minutes until he was flown to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Rangers in the area also used a defibrillator before paramedics arrived.
Nathan revealed to the media that Mr Taylor's group told him they were digging a fire pit to roast a pig when the accident happened.
But locals have expressed doubts about that claim, as fires on the island's beaches are completely banned by the state government, except for a few specific campsites.
They also wondered why anyone would build a fire pit among trees and shrubs with overhanging branches that could easily catch fire if exposed to flames below.
Locals wondered why anyone would build a fire pit among trees and shrubs with overhanging branches (pictured) that could easily catch fire if exposed to flames below.
Josh Taylor was an avid follower of surfing and fishing pages on social media, but he also followed an Australian pig hunter, Chris Wertheim (pictured)
Mr Taylor was an avid follower of surfing and fishing pages on social media, but he also followed an Australian pig hunter, Chris Wertheim, whose profile picture shows him posing with a wild boar his dogs had killed.
Locals have speculated that the group may have been hunting pigs and had dug a trap to catch one of the wild boars as it ran through the brush near the beach.
One said: 'The story that they roasted a pig and he accidentally fell in is not true.
'You can't start a fire on the beach, and the smoke would be visible for miles around, not to mention the danger of starting a bigger forest fire.
“It would make more sense that they were digging a pig trap instead.”
The Queensland Department of Environment and Science said they could not comment.
“The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident are currently under investigation by Queensland Police,” a spokesperson said.
But they added: 'Feral pigs are found across most of Queensland and are known to occur on Bribie Island.
'Pig hunting in Queensland is restricted to privately owned land, with the express permission of the landowner.'
Josh Taylor is said to have fallen into the hole when he tripped and lost balance as he got out of a chair, his flailing arms bringing the walls down on him.
A GoFundMe from family friend Georgia Hoffman for Josh's parents, Belinda and Peter Taylor, raised more than $70,000 before closing
Queensland Police told Ny Breaking Australia investigations were ongoing.
“The circumstances are all under investigation,” a spokesperson said.
A GoFundMe from family friend Georgia Hoffman for Josh's parents, Belinda and Peter Taylor, raised more than $70,000 before the campaign closed.
Ny Breaking Australia has contacted the family of Ms Hoffman, Nathan and Mr Taylor for comment.