A 9-year-old boy is recovering at home in Livingston County after being buried in a dune sand collapse at Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County on Friday.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Sergeant Ben Shively tells us the child was there during a Fourth of July celebration and was digging in the dune sand when it collapsed on top of him. He was under for about five minutes as DNR officers made their way to the scene.
“We had about 30 bystanders,” Shivley said. “Once they noticed that the child was missing, they began digging within the area. As the officers pulled up to the location, the bystanders had recovered the child, who was buried about five feet down.”
The bystanders got the child to a DNR conservation officer who performed CPR on the boy. After 70 or 80 compressions, the child began breathing, moving his arms, and regaining color. He was then taken to a hospital in Grand Rapids and is expected to fully recover.
Shively says this is a reminder to be cautious when in the dunes because these collapses can happen.
“The dunes are a living thing. They are constantly moving and changing. Sometimes you can go up into the dunes in July and be able to dig down, and you will actually come across snow that has been buried up from the winter that is still encased in the sand.”
The lesson applies wherever you might find dunes in the state. Shively says these collapses generally happen when someone is disturbing the sand, often by digging. He adds areas where off road vehicles travel are more likely to see the sand collapses.
Shively says the DNR wants everyone to enjoy Michigan’s natural resources, but digging deep holes in sand dunes is not allowed.
