Boy Buried Alive At Indiana Dunes State Park In Critical Condition

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 15, 2013 3:40PM

Nathan Woessner

An Illinois boy is in critical but stable condition after being buried alive for over three hours over the weekend at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Nathan Woessner, age 6, was on vacation with his family visiting the park’s popular Mount Baldy landmark when he became trapped in a sinkhole and a dune collapsed on top of him. He was found three to four feet past an area of the park that was cordoned off for replacing grass and other plants. Woessner was dug out by responders and transferred to University of Chicago Hospitals, where he’s breathing with the help of a ventilator, having sand removed from his lungs and is able to move his arms and legs.

Indiana Dunes spokesman Bruce Rowe believes Woessner may have been able to survive for so long because of an air pocket that formed during the dune’s collapse. Woessner’s grandfather, Don Reul, held a vigil for his son at the Galva, Ill. church where he’s pastor. A message on the church’s website said his grandson’s survival is a “miracle.”