9-year-old boy rescued after being buried under collapsing sand at Silver Lake Sand Dunes
A 9-year-old Livingston County boy was rescued after being buried in about five feet of collapsing sand at the Silver Lake State Park dunes.
The Michigan DNR says the boy and his family were visiting the Silver Lake area in Oceana County on the night of July 4, and the boy was digging a hole in the sand near pedestrian access on one side of the dunes when sand began collapsing and quickly covered him. The boy was covered in about five feet of sand for more than five minutes, according to the DNR.
DNR Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Silver Lake State Park Ranger Cody Anscombe were patrolling the dunes and were first to respond to the call for assistance around 9:30 p.m.
When the two arrived on the scene, they met a group of park visitors who dug the boy out of the sand and carried the boy, who was not breathing and did not have a pulse, to Turner and Anscombe. Turner performed CPR, and after approximately 70 to 80 compressions, the boy began breathing again, regained color and started moving his arms, officials said.
The boy was initially taken to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital and then transferred to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, where he was later released on Sunday, according to the DNR. He has since returned home with his family and is "doing well," officials said.
Scott Pratt, chief of Southern Field Operations for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, reminds visitors to put safety first when visiting the dunes.
"We want visitors of all ages to enjoy Michigan's magnificent natural resources, including the dunes, but with great care and awareness," Pratt said. "For your safety and the safety of others, remember that digging deep holes is not allowed. Collapsing sand can be extremely dangerous, even fatal. Please keep holes shallow, fill them in before leaving and never allow unsupervised digging.
"Help us keep our beaches and dunes safe so everyone can go home with great Michigan memories."
DNR officers were assisted in the rescue by the Hart Area Fire Department, Life EMS and the Oceana County Sheriff's Office.
