Man Almost Buried Alive in Beach Sand

Burying a sleeping or willing friend up to their neck in sand is a time honored beach tradition, and frankly we didn't know it could turn dangerous. Yesterday afternoon, a member of the Austrian Olympic swim team found himself accidentally buried in the sands of Pompano Beach, and rescue workers...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

May 9, 2011

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Burying a sleeping or willing friend up to their neck in sand is a time honored beach tradition, and frankly we didn't know it could turn dangerous. Yesterday afternoon, a member of the Austrian Olympic swim team found himself accidentally buried in the sands of Pompano Beach, and rescue workers had to work for hours to free him.

The Austrian swim team has been practicing in South Florida since last month, and yesterday the team got a day off, so 19-year-old swimmer Jakub Maly headed to the beach.

He spent much of the day digging a giant hole in the sand that was about 7 feet deep and 6 feet wide. Maly then decided to jump in as a joke, but when he lowered himself in the sand began collapsing around him.

Because the sand kept collapsing, it took Pompano Beach Fire Rescue almost three hours to fully free Maly from the hole. He seemed to be in stable condition, but was taken to a hospital.

[WSVN: Fire crews rescue man trapped in sand]

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