Advertisement

Hero off-duty cop in frantic effort to rescue boy buried in sand

A young boy buried alive on a Port Elliot beach in South Australia was forced to breath through a hose while an off-duty police officer led a frantic rescue mission.

Jordan Spratt's cousins and friends were watching him dig the huge 1.5 metre hole on Horseshoe Bay when it collapsed, burying him in sand.

Jordan Spratt, 11, dug this huge hole in the sand. Source: 7 News
Jordan Spratt, 11, dug this huge hole in the sand. Source: 7 News

"I was just digging holes next to him and then I heard screaming, and then I looked over and he was covered up ... I couldn't see much of him," friend Liam Browne said.

Another friend, Thomas Coates, said when they got to Jordan he was covered up to his eye line.

"Everyone was just shocked, trying to get him out, panicked, the mother was screaming at people," friend Riley Pontt said.

"I ran back to the caravan park and got a tube, a snorkel ... a few people were very instrumental, including a police officer," witness Darien Bauer said.

That police officer, who was off duty, was Lenny Carlier.

Off-duty officer Lenny Carlier came to the rescue. Source: 7 News
Off-duty officer Lenny Carlier came to the rescue. Source: 7 News

"We got a snorkel out the back of the car and I ran down there," he said. "Obviously when we rocked up he was already fairly well buried."

The snorkel didn't work, so a piece of hose was used instead. Lenny put the hose in his mouth and told him: "In the event that the sand caves in on top of you, hold your breath and we'll dig your mouth out."

Jordan's friends were in shock after the horrific incident. Source: 7 News
Jordan's friends were in shock after the horrific incident. Source: 7 News

After almost an hour of digging, Jordan was free.

The 11-year-old was taken to Victor Harbor Hospital for assessment. His younger brother says he's shocked, but remarkably, not injured.