BOY, 5, DIES AFTER BEING BURIED UNDER MUD WHILE PLAYING IN HOLE WITH ANOTHER CHILD

UMUARAMA, PARANÁ, BRAZIL — A five-year-old boy has died after a section of earth suddenly collapsed while he was playing with another child inside a large hole in southern Brazil.

Gael Bernardo Pereira Gomes was playing in the rural area of Serra dos Dourados, in Umuarama, Paraná, on Saturday, September 19, when the ground gave way.

The other child managed to escape.

Gael was left trapped beneath the earth for around 40 minutes before rescuers were able to reach him.

THE CHILDREN WERE PLAYING INSIDE A DEEP HOLE

According to local reports, the children had entered a hole measuring approximately two metres deep.

The hole had been excavated as part of work to build an açude, a reservoir used to store water.

The ground had become particularly unstable after a recent storm had left the soil wet.

While the children were inside, part of the surrounding earth suddenly collapsed, burying Gael.

The second child was able to get out of the hole before being trapped.

FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO DIG BY HAND

Emergency crews were called to the scene and immediately began trying to locate Gael.

But rescuers faced a dangerous situation of their own.

Rather than using heavy machinery, firefighters had to remove the earth manually to avoid triggering another collapse.

They dug through the soil until they eventually located the boy.

Gael was found unconscious after spending approximately 40 minutes beneath the earth.

When rescuers reached him, he was in cardiorespiratory arrest.

Firefighters and medical personnel from Brazil’s emergency medical service, SAMU, began resuscitation attempts at the scene.

Despite their efforts, Gael could not be saved and was pronounced dead.

A COMMUNITY LEFT IN MOURNING

Gael was a student at Serra dos Dourados Municipal School, where he was enrolled in the Infantil 5B class.

Following his death, the Municipal Education Department of Umuarama issued a statement expressing condolences to his family, friends and school community.

The department described his death as a tragedy and said the school community was standing alongside his family during their grief.

His funeral and burial took place on Sunday, September 20.

“THE WHOLE TEAM GAVE EVERYTHING”

The rescue effort has also left a deep impression on the firefighters who responded.

According to The Sun, fire service Sergeant Douglas Arcanjo Dias said the rescue team continued working despite the physical exhaustion involved.

He said rescuers did everything they could to reach the child and acknowledged how deeply the death of a child affects emergency crews.

The firefighters’ decision to excavate manually also reflected the danger posed by the unstable ground.

A TRAGIC ACCIDENT

Local reports have described the incident as a fatal accident.

The collapse occurred after the children entered the excavation, with the soil weakened by moisture from a recent storm.

The tragedy has highlighted the danger of allowing children near deep excavations, particularly when the surrounding ground is wet or unstable.

For Gael’s family and his school community, however, the warnings came too late.

A five-year-old boy who had been playing with another child never made it home.

His family is now left mourning a young life that ended in a sudden and devastating accident.