North Carolina Child Saved: In a dramatic incident on November 3, a 12-year-old boy in Lillington, North Carolina, was rescued after falling into a sinkhole at a new construction site. The sinkhole, located at a sediment pond on Day Song Court, trapped the child in multiple feet of mud.
The young boy had been riding his bike in the area when he fell into the sinkhole. Stuck for nearly three hours, his calls for help were eventually heard by other children who alerted his mother. Emergency services, including the Lillington and Summerville Bunnlevel fire departments, Harnett County Fire Marshal’s Office, Emergency Management, county EMS, and the Lillington Police Department, responded promptly.
First responders were on the scene at 6:16 p.m., and the successful rescue took place around 7:11 p.m. The child, who had sunk about five feet into the mud, was taken to a nearby hospital. Despite reporting feeling cold, he claimed not to be hurt. His current condition remains unknown, as he was taken to be evaluated by medical staff.
Sinkholes, while uncommon, can occur where the rock below the land surface is susceptible to dissolution by groundwater. They can also be human-induced, triggered by changes in water-drainage patterns. The United States Geological Survey notes that sinkhole damage is more prevalent in certain states, including Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas.
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