Josh Taylor, a 25-year-old man, was buried alive in sand after falling into a five-foot hole on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane. The incident occurred just before 2pm, prompting a response from Queensland Paramedics and an RACQ Lifeflight rescue helicopter crew.
A witness named Nathan, who was among those who helped rescue Taylor, revealed that the hole was initially dug to cook a pig. Taylor fell into the hole when the sand beneath him gave way as he stood up from a chair. He was buried so deep that his feet were only visible from directly above the hole.
A group of people quickly came to Taylor’s aid, digging him out and tying a rope to his feet in an attempt to pull him out. Despite the efforts of 15 men, Taylor remained stuck until a paramedic suggested a different pulling direction. This change in strategy finally allowed them to free Taylor from the hole.
Taylor was rushed to the Princess Alexandra hospital where he is currently in a critical but stable condition, with his family by his side. Nathan, who was leaving the beach with his family when he was called to help, described the scene as “gruesome”. He recalled the desperate efforts of Taylor’s family and friends to dig him out.
The force exerted to pull Taylor out of the hole caused him further injury. Upon his extraction, he was pulseless, prompting rangers to perform CPR and apply a defibrillator. A helicopter pilot landed on the beach to deliver a critical care doctor and flight paramedic from RACQ LifeFlight Rescue as close to the scene as possible.
The rescue crew then airlifted Taylor to Princess Alexandra Hospital for further treatment. It reportedly took 45 minutes for his pulse to return. QAS Paramedic Peter Batt commended the efforts of those who assisted, attributing the return of Taylor’s pulse to their effective CPR.
The incident occurred during a beach gathering with friends. The hole that Taylor fell into was dug by his friends and he was buried alive when the sand collapsed around him. Bribie Island, part of Queensland’s Moreton Bay region, is a popular holiday destination.