SNOW CANYON STATE PARK — A 15-year-old Santa Clara girl was in critical condition Friday after becoming buried in sand when a hole she was playing in collapsed.
Washington County sheriff's chief deputy Shauna Jones said the girl and three younger siblings had dug a hole roughly 4 feet deep and had been playing in it. At some point, the hole caved in on the girl, Jones said.
The family had been getting ready to leave the state park when they noticed the girl wasn't with them.
"They went back and found the hole caved in and a bit of her hair sticking out of the sand," Jones said.
Family and bystanders worked quickly to dig out the girl, who wasn't breathing and did not have a pulse. She was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George and later flown to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
Jones said doctors were able to obtain a pulse at Dixie Regional.
The incident is being investigated as an accident, she said.
Snow Canyon State Park is a 7,400-acre desert park near Ivins, Washington County.
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