LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. - The effort to rescue two children buried after a dirt wall collapsed on top of them, is now being treated as a recovery effort.
The 6-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy, believed to be cousins, were playing in an excavated basement under construction when one of the dirt walls collapsed, burying them alive. One of the children’s father witnessed the collapse and called 911 at around 6 p.m. Sunday.
Using whatever they had that their immediate disposal, rescuers began trying to dig the children out, but after four hours of digging, they knew that their efforts were now to retrieve their dead bodies.
“This is now a recovery operation for these two children,” said Dion Burleson, public information officer for Lincoln County Emergency Management. “There are calls at times like this happen where we are not able to make a difference because it’s outside of our realm.”
Some 65 rescue personnel, including Charlotte and Huntersville fire units, worked overnight while family members of the children stood near the scene. One worker told reporters that as of this morning, crews had dug down almost 15 feet.
According to Burleson, an investigation was under way. as there are some questions that need to be answered, including whether a construction permit had been issued. A neighbor said a family member building a new home at the site had been digging with a backhoe there earlier in the day, and that the children were seen playing in the 20-30 feet deep hole later that day.
Sadly, the news is reporting that the bodies of the two children have been found.
