SULVER LAKE – A 9-year-old boy from Livingston County is home and doing well after being temporarily buried by collapsing sand at Silver Lake State Park dunes in Oceana County on Friday.
The child, visiting with family, was digging near the pedestrian access on the northeast side of the dunes when the sand collapsed, covering him under about 5 feet of sand for over five minutes.
Emergency responders were notified by Mason-Oceana 911 at 9:28 p.m. Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Silver Lake State Park Ranger Cody Anscombe, patrolling the off-road vehicle area, were first to arrive.
At 9:30 p.m., Turner and Anscombe met bystanders carrying the child, whom they had just dug out. Turner found the boy unresponsive and began CPR. After 70-80 compressions, the child began breathing, moving his arms, and regained color.
By 9:35 p.m., he was stable. Turner and Anscombe transported the child and his mother by off-road vehicle to an ambulance near the park exit. He was taken to Trinity Health Muskegon, then transferred to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
By Sunday, the child had been released and was recovering at home with family.
Turner, a conservation officer since 2021, patrols Oceana County. Anscombe, a ranger since 2017, works at the park’s ORV area.
The DNR was assisted by Hart Area Fire Department, Life EMS, and the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.
Beach and dunes safety reminder
Scott Pratt, chief of Southern Field Operations for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, stressed putting safety first when visiting the dunes.
“We want visitors to enjoy Michigan’s magnificent natural resources, including the dunes, but with great care,” Pratt said. “Digging deep holes is not allowed. Collapsing sand is extremely dangerous, even fatal. Keep holes shallow, fill them before leaving, and never allow unsupervised digging.
“Help us keep beaches and dunes safe so everyone can go home with great Michigan memories.”
