At the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore a six-year-old boy who was trapped in a huge sand dune Friday was rescued after three hours and is now in critical condition.
The boy, whose name and hometown was not released, is on a ventilator and is responsive to simple commands at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
He was playing on the sand dune, which is over 125 feet high and is known as Mount Baldy, Friday when he fell into it. While his family was attempting to get him out, the dune collapsed, burying him in 11 feet of sand.
According to Chicago Tribune the emergency personnel arrived at the scene less than 15 minutes later, and the rescue efforts of 30 people were eventually what saved the boy after three long hours.
Officials say that they believe there was an air pocket in the sand, which was what allowed the boy to stay breathing and survive for so long.
ABC reports that Mark Huffman, the LaPorte County Deputy Coroner, calls it a miracle that the boy survived.
“It is totally amazing,” Huffman said.