16-year-old girl rescued from 6-foot hole that partially collapsed on beach

A 16-year-old girl was rescued from a hole in the sand that partially collapsed in San Diego on July 16, authorities said.

Lifeguards responded to reports that the girl was buried about six to eight feet deep in the sand around 4:50 p.m. on Mission Beach, San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Jacob Magness said during a press conference.

Upon arrival, lifeguards found the girl was buried up to her neck in a hole about six feet wide, and they could only see her head and arms sticking up out of the hole, Magness said.

“The initial rescue attempt was to try to pull her out, which was not successful, so then that’s when the digging had to start,” Magness said.

Lifeguards and nearby park rangers immediately began using shovels to free the girl, and a call was placed for the San Diego Fire Department to respond.

The girl was conscious, breathing and talking as crews worked to rescue her, and lifeguards helped keep her calm during the rescue, Magness said.

A large crowd formed on the beach to watch the rescue, and after about 10 minutes of digging, the girl walked out of the hole uninjured, Magness said.

Lifeguards helped the girl walk to a stretcher before she was taken to be accessed by medical personnel in an ambulance. She released and not transported to a hospital, Magness said.

Magness cautioned that digging holes too deep can be a collapse hazard and can cause injuries. Tunneling is even worse than digging holes, Magness said, and emphasized not to dig tunnels on the beach.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com