MEARS, Mich. (AP) — Bystanders and rescue workers dug desperately with their hands to save a 12-year-old boy who was trapped under sand in northern Michigan, authorities said.

The boy and a younger brother were playing Sunday night at Silver Lake Sand Dunes, a recreation area along Lake Michigan, when they decided to dig a hole, the Oceana County sheriff’s office said.

Sand collapsed and the boy suddenly became trapped, Sheriff Craig Mast said.

“It was a very, very scary situation,” Mast told MLive.com.

People dug with their hands and were joined by police and firefighters. The boy was trapped for more than 10 minutes.

He had a faint pulse, but his condition improved as a helicopter took him to a hospital, Mast said.

“We hope that this young man recovers fully and will be out playing with his brother again soon,” the sheriff’s office said.