Lifeguards Rescue 16-year-old Girl Trapped in Deep Sand Hole at Mission Beach, San Diego

On Tuesday at Mission Beach, San Diego lifeguards rescued a 16-year-old girl who had become trapped in a sand hole. The incident occurred when her friends buried her in a deep hole, which was reported to the lifeguards around 5 p.m. by a concerned woman. Lifeguards immediately identified the situation as an emergency.

According to Mónica Muñoz from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the teens’ attempts to dig the girl out were inadvertently making things worse. The sand, being heavy, was filling back into the hole, which was estimated to be 8 to 10 feet deep, complicating the rescue effort.

The rescue team, including lifeguards, firefighters, and San Diego park rangers, carefully widened the hole to avoid further entrapment.

The girl was buried up to her chest with her arms above the sand but remained calm throughout the process. After approximately 15 minutes, she was successfully freed and assessed by medical personnel before being returned to a parent of one of her friends.

Lifeguards advise against digging holes deeper than 3 feet and recommend that any holes dug on the beach be filled in before leaving. This precaution helps prevent injuries to both beachgoers and first responders.