Thursday, March 22, 2012 - Boulder Fire Department rescues 5-year-old trapped in hole

Thursday, March 22, 2012
Contact: Kim Kobel, Boulder Fire, 303-441-3370

Boulder Fire Department rescues 5-year-old trapped in hole

 Boulder firefighters rescued a 5-year-old boy who became trapped in a 3-and-a-half-foot deep hole while playing with several older boys at 3025 Little Leaf, near 26^th and Valmont.

The boy has been taken to the hospital to be checked by doctors, but it does not appear that he suffered any serious injuries.

According to the child’s mother, several boys were jumping in and out of the hole when her son tried jumping and became trapped. The hole is approximately 3 1/2 feet deep and 8-to-12 inches wide. Because of the way the child landed in the hole, fire rescuers could not pull him straight out. The boy’s ankles were crossed below and behind him, and his knees were buckled under him.

Boulder firefighters determined that the safest way to free the youngster was to use shovels to hand-dig down one side of the little boy, and then dig across to him when they got closer to the location of his feet. Firefighters cut the bottom out of a 5-gallon bucket and placed it around the boy’s head to keep the dirt away from him while they were digging.

Rescuers gave the child oxygen while they dug him free, and a victim’s advocate from the Boulder Police Department spoke to him while the firefighters worked. A lieutenant with the Boulder Fire Department held the child’s hand during the rescue to try to keep him calm.

The child was cold and very scared, but did not appear to be otherwise hurt. His mother was on-scene during the rescue.

At this point, Boulder Fire Department investigators do not know the purpose of the holes or who dug them. Firefighters filled them with dirt before they cleared the scene so that the holes would not continue to be a safety hazard.

The Boulder Fire Department, Boulder Police Department and AMR Paramedics responded to the call tonight.

The incident is under investigation by the Boulder Fire Department.

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Last Updated on Friday, 13 July 2012 07:02