12-Year-Old Boy in Serious Condition After Sand Dune Collapsed on Him at Michigan State Park
The child had been playing with his younger brother in the sand dunes at Silver Lake State Park when the accident happened
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A 12-year-old boy has been hospitalized after being buried in a sand dune at a Michigan state park.
The child and his 8-year-old brother were playing in the sand dunes during a family gathering at Silver Lake State Park when the accident occurred on the evening of Sunday, June 9, USA Today, Fox affiliate WXMI-TV and ABC affiliate WZZM-TV reported.
The Oceana County Sheriff’s Office told the outlets that the younger boy called for help after one of the holes, which was roughly 5 feet deep, collapsed on his brother while they were digging in them.
Bystanders began digging the boy out while a nearby sheriff’s deputy responded to the call about two minutes after the accident, WXMI reported. The outlet added that it took both first responders and those bystanders to free the 12-year-old from the sand.
According to all three outlets, the boy was "unresponsive and not breathing" after he was rescued, with WZZM and USA Today reporting that he had been buried for about 14 minutes.
The sheriff's office told the outlets that the victim was transported to Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids via Aero Med helicopter. Per WXMI, a spokesperson for the hospital said on Tuesday, June 11 that his condition went from being critical to serious.
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"We hope that this young man recovers fully and will be out playing with his brother again soon," the Oceana County Sheriff's Office said per a news release obtained by WZZM.
They added, "We are very thankful for our partnerships with all of the agencies who responded. This was a difficult scene and everyone did a fantastic job.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office and Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital for comment.
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