The death of a man at Auckland's Muriwai Beach earlier this year has brought attention to a danger not immediately obvious to some beachgoers

28-year old Kane Gofton - also referred to as Kane Watson in previous reporting - died in hospital in August, two days after a sand dune collapsed on him while he was digging a hole.

A Coroner has found Gofton died from complications of cardiac arrest due to entrapment and asphyxia.

They've found the 28-year-old's own actions ultimately led to his death - and there's no evidence the actions or inactions of others could have changed the outcome.

The Coroner says, going into the summer, it's important beachgoers are aware of the risks of sand dunes, which can become unstable without warning.