Boy who was buried in the sand dunes is ‘home and doing well.’

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

GOLDEN TOWNSHIP — The 9-year-old Fenton boy who was rescued after he was buried in the sand‎ at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes Friday night “is reportedly home and doing well,” states a press release from the Michigan DNR.

“The DNR was notified Sunday that the child had been released from the hospital and was at home, doing well with family.

“The child, who was visiting the Silver Lake area with family, was digging a hole in the sand, located near the pedestrian access on the northeast side of the dunes, when sand collapsed and covered him in about 5 feet of sand for more than five minutes,” states the DNR.

“Emergency responders were notified by Mason-Oceana 911 at 9:28 p.m. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Logan Turner and Silver Lake State Park Ranger Cody Anscombe were patrolling the public off-road vehicle area of the dunes and were the first emergency responders to arrive at the scene.

“At 9:30 p.m., Turner and Anscombe met the group of bystanders who dug the child out of the sand and were carrying the child toward the DNR employees. Turner evaluated the child, who was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Turner immediately began performing CPR and, after 70-80 compressions, the child began breathing and moving his arms and regained color.

“By 9:35 p.m., Turner and Anscombe confirmed the child was in stable condition and used their department-issued, side-by-side off-road vehicle to transport the child and his mother to an ambulance waiting in the parking lot near the exit of the Silver Lake State Park off-road vehicle area.

“The child was transported to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital, then transferred to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.

“Turner has been a conservation officer since 2021 and patrols in Oceana County. Anscombe has been a ranger since 2017 and works at the Silver Lake State Park ORV area.

“The DNR was assisted by Hart Area Fire Department, Life EMS and Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.”

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