San Diego Girl Trapped in Sand Rescued at Mission Beach
First responders were able to rescue a San Diego girl trapped in sand after she fell into a “very deep” hole in Mission Beach.
On Tuesday, a group of children were spotted digging a hole approximately eight to 10 feet deep in Mission Beach, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. More specifically, a woman noticed the children desperately trying to get the 16-year-old girl who fell into the sand hole out.
The teen was reportedly buried from her chest down, although her head and arms were still above the sand. Although she was “awake, breathing normally and calm” during the incident, rescuers needed to free her before the high tide.
Making matters worse, the other teens who were trying to dig the San Diego girl out while she was trapped in sand were actually making the matters worse.
Rescuers strategically widened the hole very carefully so as not to continue burying her. The rescue, which was watched by a crowd of beach-goers, took about 15 minutes.
According to USA Today, digging holes in the sand can be dangerous. One 12-year-old boy was recently hospitalized after being buried under the sand in Michigan, while a girl died in February after falling into a sand hole on a Florida beach in February.
Technically, digging holes on San Diego beaches is allowed, but the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said it’s not recommended to dig holes deeper than 3 feet. Although you can dig holes, officials ask that you replace the sand before leaving the beach.
Media credit: Image licensed from Adobe
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
