A young New Jersey boy is in the hospital after a sand tunnel he was digging collapsed on top of him. Also, a father and his infant are recovering after being hit by a fire truck that was responding to the sand collapse, authorities say.
A 12-year-old boy was attempting to dig a tunnel in the sand with his brother and some friends on a beach in Long Branch, N.J., when the tunnel collapsed over him late Tuesday afternoon, said Police Captain Jason Roebuck.
Someone screamed for help from lifeguards, who were just 15 feet away, said Roebuck. The boy was pulled out, and lifeguards performed CPR on him as they waited for paramedics.
A beachgoer from Staten Island, N.Y., said the boy wasn't moving.
"They were pumping him, pressing on his stomach, trying to bring him back," she said. "They kept trying to revive him, pressing, pressing. There was blood coming out of his nose... He didn't move."
Sources said the tunnel was deep, and the weight of all the sand on the boy's chest made it impossible for him to breathe.
The boy was rushed to Monmouth Medical Center, where he is in the pediatric intensive care unit. He is breathing.
Authorities said a fire truck responding to the scene hit a man holding his infant son. The truck hit the pair as it pulled into Ocean Place near the beach, knocking them both to the ground.
Both were taken to the Jersey Shore Medical Center. The father suffered some broken limbs. The baby was injured but not severely.
The firefighter driving the truck was working his last shift before his retirement, officials said.
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