5 feet of sand collapses on 9-year-old digging hole at dunes, MI officials say

A 9-year-old boy was rescued and resuscitated after 5 feet of sand collapsed on him at a Michigan state park, officials said.

The boy from Livingston County was visiting the Silver Lake State Park sand dunes with his family Friday, July 4, and was digging a hole in the sand, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The sand then collapsed on the boy, burying him in the sand “for more than five minutes,” officials said.

Bystanders helped dig the boy out of the sand, but he was not breathing when he was taken to a conservation officer and park ranger, the department said.

CPR was performed on the boy, and after more than 70 compressions, he began to breathe and move his arms, officials said.

The department of natural resources said the boy was taken to a hospital in Muskegon before being transferred to a Grand Rapids hospital. He was released July 6 and is “doing well with family.”

A similar incident happened in 2024 when a 12-year-old boy became trapped under sand at the state park, according to MLive.com. He was rescued by bystanders with only a faint pulse and was treated at a hospital.

Silver Lake State Park, which rests along Lake Michigan, features 2,000 acres of sand dunes.

“We want visitors of all ages to enjoy Michigan’s magnificent natural resources, including the dunes, but with great care and awareness,” DNR spokesperson Scott Pratt said. “For your safety and the safety of others, remember that digging deep holes is not allowed. Collapsing sand can be extremely dangerous, even fatal. Please keep holes shallow, fill them in before leaving and never allow unsupervised digging.”

This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 7:26 AM with the headline "5 feet of sand collapses on 9-year-old digging hole at dunes, MI officials say."