Sand Dune Collapse Kills 12-Year-Old Boy Scout

Police say a 12-year-old Boy Scout has died after being buried by sand at a Michigan park. South Haven police tell TV station WWMT that the boy dug into the side of a sand dune Saturday and crawled into the small space. The sand collapsed while Gage Wilson of the Kalamazoo area was inside at Van Buren State Park in southwestern Michigan. Police say two boys who were with Gage didn't notice his disappearance for up to 30 minutes, per the AP.

The South Haven, Mich., police department responded to the scene, by which time Gage had been found by troop leaders. The leaders attempted to resuscitate the boy and the efforts were later taken over by emergency responders. Gage was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In a statement, Donald Shepard, CEO of the Michigan Crossroads Council of the Boy Scouts of America, called it a difficult time for the scouting family. "We offer our deepest condolences to the victim and his family, and we will support them in any way that we can," Shepard wrote on Facebook. "Please join us in keeping all those affected in your thoughts and prayers." (More Boy Scouts of America stories.)