Quick actions save boy buried in the sand dunes

OCP file photo/ The pedestrian area at Silver Lake Sand Dunes

‘… the child had been removed from the sand and was blue in color with no pulse.’

GOLDEN TOWNSHIP — First responders’ and bystanders’ quick actions saved the life of a 9-year-old Fenton boy who was buried in the sand at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes Friday evening, July 4, according to Oceana County Undersheriff Ryan Schiller.

“On Friday July 4, 2025 at 9:29 p.m., deputies received a call for a child who was buried in the sand near the turnaround area of the sand dunes,” stated Undersheriff Schiller in a press release. “The caller reported that the child had been buried for approximately three to five minutes and that there were about 30 people digging in the last location that the child was seen.

“Multiple deputies who were staging in Silver Lake in preparation for the fireworks detail that was scheduled that evening responded to the scene. The accident involved a 9-year-old male from Fenton, Michigan. Like many others, the child and his family were up in the sand dunes to watch the fireworks. The family had parked in the ORV parking lot and walked up the steps into the dunes to the pedestrian area.

“Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Park Ranger Cody Anscombe overheard the radio call from the ORV area parking lot. They responded to the scene in their side-by-side UTV and located the caller. When Officer Turner arrived, the child had been removed from the sand and was blue in color with no pulse. Officer Turner and Ranger Anscombe began CPR, when a physician also arrived on scene. They did approximately 80 compressions of CPR when the boy began to cough.

“The patient was transported by Life EMS to Trinity Health – Muskegon for treatment. When deputies arrived on scene, DNR officers were attending to the needs of the child and making arrangements to meet Life EMS in the staging area. The great working relationships that we have with all of the agencies in our area is absolutely key!

“A very similar incident occurred last year on June 9, 2024 with a 12-year-old Petoskey boy. That incident also had a positive outcome, but not without some serious complications and hurdles along the way.

“We are extremely thankful that this situation had a positive outcome. We encourage anyone who may take children to the sand dunes to talk with them about the dangers of digging in the dunes. Digging in the dunes is inherently different than digging anywhere else. The sand is much more unstable and can quickly cave in around a person. This not only happens to children, but can easily happen to adults as well.

“The holiday weekend was extremely busy anywhere near the lakeshore, specifically the sand dunes. While we had large crowds all weekend, enjoying the water and outdoor activities, we only had two injury-related accidents, and none were determined to be serious in nature. We are grateful for the work that Think Dunes, Silver Lake Recreation Association and MiDNR are doing to promote a safe experience for dune enthusiasts.

“Responding to the scene were Michigan DNR – Law Enforcement Division, Parks and Recreation Division, Oceana County Sheriff’s Office, Hart Area Fire Department, Life EMS, and we were assisted by Mason-Oceana 911.”

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