Rescuers Free 15-Year-Old Girl Trapped In Hole After Beach Collapses Around Her

Jul 26, 2020 by apost team

When we think of building sandcastles with friends or family, we rarely associate it with any hidden dangers. It is a sociable, relaxing, and enjoyable activity for people of all ages. This turned out not to be the case for 15-year-old Tessa Filmer-Gallagher from Massachusetts, who was recently digging on a beach on Nauset Island, Chatham, when it caved in on her, leaving her trapped.

Tessa had been digging a hole in the sand when unexpectedly the sides of the hole collapsed around her. She was trapped under the sand and was struggling to breathe.

Her mother, Heidi Filmer-Gallagher, told WBZ-TV that the sand itself was cold, wet, and very heavy “like cement.” Despite her daughter's head being above the sand level, she was “buried up to her neck so she couldn’t breathe–she literally couldn't move under it,” Heidi stated.

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Firefighters responded to the incident, as well as the Coast Guard, and the Chatham Harbormaster. As the sides of the pit were so unstable and threatened to continue to collapse, the crew decided to put a barrier around Tessa so that she'd stay safe.

Deputy Fire Chief Justin Tavano told WBZ-TV, “We were fortunate in the regard that her face and airway were above the level of the collapse, she was able to breathe.”

Thanks to the quick actions of the first responders, Tessa, who kept calm throughout the ordeal, was freed in under half an hour. After being checked out by the ambulance crew it was deemed she was in good health and did not need to go to hospital.

Her mom confirmed that Tessa is definitely in no hurry to dig another hole any time soon, and that she is aware she'd had a very lucky escape.

Have you ever known anyone who needed to be rescued because of nature? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to pass on the positive ending of this story to everyone you know.