Popular Indiana Dune Where Boy Was Buried To Remain Closed

Scientists continue trying to determine what caused an Illinois boy to become buried under 11 feet of sand

Officials say a popular 126-foot high sand dune at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will remain closed indefinitely while scientists continue trying to determine what caused an Illinois boy to become buried under 11 feet of sand.

Acting park Superintendent Garry Traynham says the decision was made to keep Mount Baldy and its beach front along Lake Michigan closed because more holes have been found on the dune.

“Mount Baldy is one of the most visited sites in the national lakeshore, attracting thousands of visitors each year,” Traynham said, “but the continued development of these holes in the dune surface poses a serious risk to the public."

A "large number of anomalies" have been found beneath the dune's surface, Traynham said, but analysis by scientists from the National Park Service, Indiana University and the Indiana Geological Survey have not figured out how they formed.

Scientists are trying to determine why part of the dune collapsed July 12, burying then-6-year-old Nathan Woessner of Sterling, Ill., for more than three hours. The boy spent weeks undergoing rehabilitation after the accident. The dune has remained closed to the public since.

Park officials say the investigation could last until this fall.
 
All other beach access areas in the park are currently open.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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