California’s San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFRD) rescued a 16-year-old girl who became entrapped beneath six to eight feet of sand on a beach Tuesday, the department said, KGTV reported.
The teenager was previously digging a hole in the beach when the sandpile collapsed on her, the outlet reported, citing local authorities. She was buried up to her neck, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Man Survives Shark Attack After Fighting Back: REPORT)
The girl was placed in a particularly precarious position as she was stuck 20 feet from the water in the face of high tides, authorities said, according to Good Morning America (GMA). Authorities took about 15 minutes to dig the teen out of the sandpile, the outlet reported.
Sky 10 News’ drone footage captured around 10 minutes of the rescue operation.
Multiple persons with shovels can be seen digging around the teen in the video. The drone captured the close proximity of the accident site to the approaching tide. At about 4 minutes into the video, the drone captured the moment that the rescuers manage to lift the teen — who is clad in black — out of the ground. The authorities escort the teen to a mobile stretcher, which she lays down on. The authorities then guide the stretcher into an emergency vehicle.
The SDFRD said the teen was not hurt in the incident, KGTV reported.
Such incidents can quickly become fatal. Sloan Mattingly, a 7-year-old girl, died from a similar collapse on a Florida beach back in February, NBC 6 reported.
“We hear a lot about rip currents and lightning and things like that, but this is nonetheless dangerous and should be included in the warning systems,” American Lifeguard Association spokesperson Wyatt Werneth told GMA in March following the Florida incident. “Sand on the beaches, unlike some hill areas or inland areas, it moves very easily. When you start digging a hole, it’ll fill itself up very quickly.”
“When you start digging anything beyond your knees or your waist and then getting in it, that is dangerous,” he told the outlet.
The Daily Caller has reached out to the SDFRD for comment but has not heard back yet.
