Rescuers dug the girl out Sand hole collapses - father rescues his daughter at the last second

While playing on the banks of Panther Creek in Texas, a 12-year-old girl was buried in a sand hole she had dug herself. It was only thanks to the quick reaction of her father and the rescue services that the incident ended without serious consequences.

A family outing in The Woodlands in the US state of Texas almost turned deadly on Thanksgiving. As "ABC News" reports, a 12-year-old girl had dug a large hole in the sand on the banks of Panther Creek - when it suddenly collapsed and completely buried the child.

The emergency call came in around 5 pm. Firefighters, paramedics and emergency personnel from the Sheriff's Office moved out to the sandbank on the west bank. "The girl was completely buried after the self-dug hole collapsed," explained The Woodlands Fire Department.

Father frees child's head

The fact that the child survived is largely thanks to her father's quick reaction. "He was able to clear the sand from around her head so that she could breathe again," said the emergency services. When the fire department arrived, only her head and face were still sticking out of the sand.

Using shovels and great care, the rescuers freed the girl piece by piece. Published photos show emergency services working on the slope of the sand hill to prevent further danger to the child.

After an examination by paramedics, it emerged that the 12-year-old had survived the incident unharmed. The family decided not to take her to hospital.

Experts warn of deep sand holes

The case is reminiscent of a tragic accident in Denmark in 2024, in which two boys from Germany were buried in a sand hole while playing and later died in hospital. Experts therefore urgently warn against deep sand pits: they can collapse suddenly, the sand compacts and makes breathing difficult or impossible.

In addition, the sand often slides during rescue attempts, making it difficult to free yourself.