Two boys were taken to hospital in critical condition after being buried in sand in a landslide on dunes in northern Denmark, police said. “At some point I didn't believe anyone would be found,” a man who helped rescue the children told local media.
The incident occurred on Sunday in Nørre Vorupør on the North Sea coast. According to police findings so far, unrelated German boys aged nine and 12 dug a hole in a dune while playing on the beach, which could have caused a landslide. The police stressed in a statement that the risk of landslides on the coast has increased as a result of recent heavy rainfall.
The accident occurred on a beach in Nørre Vorupør, Denmark.PAP/EPA/JOHNNY PEDERSEN
Buried in the sand for almost 40 minutes
It took about 40 minutes for the children to get out of the sand. The injured were then given first aid and taken to hospital by helicopter. The police reported that the boys were in critical condition on Sunday evening. No statement was issued on Monday.
Danish broadcaster TV2 spoke to Henning Nockel, a tourist from Germany who helped rescue the boys from the landslide. “At some point I didn't believe anyone would be found,” the man admitted. “Suddenly I noticed a jacket, a colorful jacket. And then I touched one of the children,” he added. After a while, the rescuers also reached the second boy, the tourist noted.
The North Sea coast in Nørre Vorupør in DenmarkPAP/EPA/JOHNNY PEDERSEN
Main image source: PAP/EPA/JOHNNY PEDERSEN