Playing with beach sand has always been enticing for kids.
It feels good to play in the sand. Plus, the endless possibility of fun and play is there. Kids can build things by digging and molding this fine grain by the beach.
However, a Mayo Clinic proceeding warned parents always to accompany children while playing in the sand.
Accidental sand burials are fatal, especially to children. Be it by the beach, a sandbox, or even playing near a construction site, parents must be cautious about where their children are playing. They also said that early extrication from the sand and proper airway management increase the odds of keeping the child alive and safe.
Sadly, for 5-year-old Alyssa Bostic, this accident turned a fun day into a tragic one.
Marina Dunes Beach in Monterey looked calm in July. The weather was perfect for a fun family getaway. Alyssa and a few other kids played in the sand, taking their time while having some fun digging through.
After much digging, she found the sand cave big enough to crawl in.
She indeed crawled inside, curious if she would fit in it. She did but, after a few moments, paid a terrible price.
The sand eventually collapsed on her.
That moment of fun and laughter turned into horror. The sand that covered the 5-year-old was too high that it covered her completely. Without any room to breathe, Alyssa blacked out.
Our hero, Connor, happened to pass by the area a few minutes later.
He noticed a bag nearby and immediately thought that something was not right. He checked his surroundings and was quick to judge to dig through the sand
That’s when he discovered there was someone buried underneath.
He continued digging until he found the 5-year-old Alyssa with her eyes and nose covered in sand. Connor continued digging until he can pull Alyssa out of the sand cave.
He noticed Alyssa wasn’t breathing.
This young boy made another quick judgment to do CPR on Alyssa. He said he didn’t know how to perform it but just followed what he saw from the television series NCIS.
Thanks to this, Alyssa’s breathing was back, but she was still unconscious.
Connor called his father, who called paramedics. The medical teams arrived in a few minutes and said that Connor’s quick action to the situation spelled out the difference of a few minutes between life and death.
Luckily for Alyssa, she was saved in time – and she has Connor to thank for.
The two children and their families now have a special friendship that came out of this incident. Alyssa’s family was grateful for Connor, while Connor and his family were humble and were just glad that everything turned out well.
And here’s a bit of a bonus for Connor…
Marina Mayor Bruce Delgado honored the boy’s heroic actions during the City Board Conference the next month. He was also honored by the American Legion Auxiliary with a National Youth Hero Award.
He truly deserves this one.
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