Crews To Examine Indiana Sand Dune That Swallowed Boy

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (AP) — Federal officials plan to examine a northern Indiana sand dune that collapsed last month, burying a 6-year-old Illinois boy under 11 feet of sand for more than three hours.

The National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency will use ground-sensing equipment starting Monday to investigate Mount Baldy, a 43-acre sand dune at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

That section of the park has been closed to the public since July 12 when Nathan Woessner (WAYZ'-ner), of Sterling, Ill., disappeared into the dune. Emergency crews dug for hours to rescue the child, who was put in a medically induced coma after the incident. He was allowed to return home two weeks later.

Geologists theorize that a tree trunk decomposed under the dune, creating the void that swallowed Nathan.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.