A 12-year-old boy buried in a sand dune, killed

SOUTH HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WOOD) – A 12-year-old boy died Saturday after being covered by a sand dune at a scout camp south of South Haven, police said.

On Sunday, the child was identified by police as Gage Wilson of Portage.

According to the South Haven police, another scout called 911 immediately, but Gage was still trapped under the sand in North Point County Park for 15 to 30 minutes.

When emergency responders arrived at the park around 4:15 pm, they found Scout leaders performing CPR on the boy. Emergency responders took over and an officer used an AED to recover the pulse of Gage.

The authorities then rushed Gage out of the park in an ambulance that was waiting for him, which in turn took him to an area where a medical helicopter was waiting. He was flown to Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, where he died.

The South Haven Police Department said on Sunday that an autopsy was underway and was still investigating, but that the incident appears to have been "a tragic accident".

In a Sunday declarationDonald Shephard, Michigan Crossroads CEO and scout leader, said the organization offered "our deepest sympathies to the victim and his family, and we will support them in every way possible."

Scouts went on to say that safety is an integral part of everything we do and that they attach "great importance to prevention and preparation" to ensure the safety of its members.