A Texas girl rescued from a collapsing sand hole was close to being buried alive before being saved by her father.
The 12–year–old became trapped at the Spring Creek nature trail in The Woodlands after a large hole she was digging in the sand caved in.
The terrifying collapse happened around 5pm on Thanksgiving near the end of Pruitt Road.
The preteen was covered ‘completely’, according to The Woodlands Fire Department.
When firefighters, medics and police arrived, only the girl’s face and head were showing.
The girl’s father had immediately rushed to her rescue and cleared enough sand from around his daughter’s head to keep her breathing.
Units from the South Montgomery County Fire Department, the Montgomery County Hospital District and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the call.
They found the preteen buried in a sandbar on the west bank of Panther Creek, south of a pedestrian bridge.
A 12–year–old girl was trapped in the Spring Creek nature trail in The Woodlands when a hole she was digging collapsed
The pre–teen’s father immediately responded to the sand hole’s collapse and cleared enough sand from around his daughter’s head to allow her to breathe
They ‘carefully cleared away’ the sand and freed the girl, The Woodlands Fire Department said.
The girl was evaluated by doctors after being rescued and released to her parents. They ‘declined’ to take her to the hospital, officials said.
No further updates have been released regarding the girl’s identity or subsequent condition since Thursday.
Photos released on Facebook showed more than a dozen responders working to clear the scene of the cave–in.
In a social media post, The Woodlands Fire Department said: ‘First responders from four agencies worked together seamlessly to turn a near tragedy into a Thanksgiving story that will be told for decades!’
The heroic rescue was also praised by local officials.
Montgomery County judge Mark Keough likewise pointed out that law enforcement had sprung into action during a holiday.
He wrote on Facebook: ‘While most of us were enjoying family and turkey dinner many of our first responders were out doing what they do best.
The Woodlands Fire Department said a call was placed around 5pm Thursday reporting a cave–in
So thankful for the men and women who work around the clock to keep us safe. They worked quickly to make this bad day better for this family.’
The Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office thanked the local agencies involved in saving the girl.
‘On this day of Thanksgiving, we are grateful for all those serving our community,’ the office shared on social media.
The Spring Creek nature trail runs for 14 miles and is advertised as being, ‘open to hikers, bikers, birders, and other nature lovers.’
The trail was mostly built by volunteers, according to its website.
A map posted by The Woodlands Fire Department showing where the rescue took place depicted the trail as being almost entirely surrounded by trees.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Woodlands Fire Department, the South Montgomery County Fire Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.
