MEARS, Mich. (WXMI) — A child buried under the sand for approximately three to five minutes was revived by first responders at Silver Lake State Park.
The incident happened Friday, July 4, at 9:29 p.m.
According to the Oceana County Sheriff's Office, the child was buried in the sand near the turnaround area of the sand dunes.
When deputies arrived, there were about 30 people digging in the last location that the child was seen.
Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Park Ranger Cody Anscombe overheard the radio call from the ORV area parking lot.
When they arrived, the child had been removed from the sand and was blue in color with no pulse.
Turner and Anscombe began CPR alongside a physician.
They did approximately 80 chest compressions of CPR when the boy began to cough.
The child was taken to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital, then Helen DeVos Children's Hospital for treatment.
The sheriff's office says the 9-year-old boy is from Fenton and was visiting the sand dunes with his family to watch the fireworks.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it was notified Sunday that the boy had been released from the hospital and is doing well at home.
This is similar to another incident last year at Silver Lake.
On June 9, 2024, a 12-year-old Petoskey boy was rescued after being trapped under roughly 5 feet of sand.
The boy was digging a hole with his brother when it collapsed on him.
He was hospitalized in serious condition at the time but has since recovered.
While both of these incidents had positive outcomes, the sheriff's office is encouraging parents and guardians to educate their children about the dangers of digging in the sand dunes.
They say the digging in the dunes is inherently different than anywhere else, as the sand is much more unstable and can quickly cave in around a person.
