UPDATE 10:43 a.m. July 8:
OCEANA COUNTY —A 9-year-old boy is home and doing well after being buried under five feet of sand for several minutes Friday night at Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the child from Livingston County was digging a hole with family members near the pedestrian access on the northeast side of the dunes when the sand collapsed and buried him. The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m.
Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Silver Lake State Park Ranger Cody Anscombe were patrolling the public off-road vehicle area when they were notified of the emergency by Mason-Oceana 911. They were the first emergency responders on scene.
Turner and Anscombe met a group of bystanders who had dug the boy out and were carrying him toward the officers. The child was not breathing and had no pulse. Turner began CPR, and after approximately 70 to 80 chest compressions, the boy began breathing, moving his arms and regained color, officials said.
By 9:35 p.m., the child was in stable condition. Turner and Anscombe used a department-issued off-road vehicle to transport the child and his mother to an ambulance waiting nearby. He was first taken to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital and later transferred to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
The DNR reported Sunday that the boy had been released from the hospital and was recovering at home with his family.
The rescue was aided by Hart Area Fire Department, Life EMS and the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.
DNR officials urged the public to use caution at Michigan’s dunes, emphasizing that digging deep holes in the sand is dangerous and prohibited.
“We want visitors of all ages to enjoy Michigan’s magnificent natural resources, including the dunes, but with great care and awareness,” said Scott Pratt, chief of Southern Field Operations for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Collapsing sand can be extremely dangerous, even fatal.”
He advised beachgoers to keep holes shallow, fill them in before leaving and avoid unsupervised digging.
OCEANA COUNTY — A 9-year-old boy from Fenton was rescued Friday night after being buried under sand for several minutes at Silver Lake State Park’s pedestrian dunes area.
The Oceana County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called at 9:29 p.m. July 4 to the dunes turnaround area, where about 30 people had been digging for the child, who had been buried for three to five minutes.
The boy and his family had climbed into the pedestrian area of the dunes after parking in the ORV lot to watch the holiday fireworks. Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Park Ranger Cody Anscombe, stationed nearby, quickly responded in a utility vehicle and located the caller.
When Turner arrived, the boy had just been pulled from the sand and had no pulse. Turner and Anscombe immediately began CPR, aided by a physician who happened to be on scene. After about 80 compressions, the child began coughing. He was transported by Life EMS to Trinity Health in Muskegon for further treatment.
Deputies said the quick response by law enforcement, fire crews and EMS was critical. Michigan Department of Natural Resources officers were already on the scene and coordinated with Life EMS at a staging area.
“We are extremely thankful that this situation had a positive outcome,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The great working relationships that we have with all of the agencies in our area is absolutely key.”
Officials reminded visitors of the dangers of digging in sand dunes, noting that the unstable terrain can quickly collapse and trap both children and adults. A similar incident occurred in June 2024, when a 12-year-old Petoskey boy survived a sand collapse with serious complications.
The holiday weekend drew large crowds to the lakeshore and dunes, but officials reported only two injury-related incidents, none considered serious.
Agencies responding included the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Parks divisions, Oceana County Sheriff’s Office, Hart Area Fire Department, Life EMS and Mason-Oceana 911.