Tinley Park officials say two young girls rescued from a trench were "conscious and breathing" when they were taken to hospitals this afternoon.
The incident occurred late Sunday morning in the 18300 block of White Oak Court in the southwest suburb, said Pat Carr, Director of Emergency Management for Tinley Park.
Officials determined four children were playing in the excavation site when mud collapsed on two of them, a statement sent by Tinley Park police said.
The children who weren't in the mud called 911 and rescue crews used their hands to dig the other two free, the statement said. Emergency personnel were able to talk to the children throughout the incident.
"We did remove two individuals ... they were conscious and breathing when they were taken to hospitals," Carr said.
The children were taken by ambulance to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, according to the statement.
Carr could not elaborate on how the children became trapped. Another Tinley Park official said the two girls were 9 or 10 years old.
Emergency crews received a call about 11 a.m. of a foundation collapse at a vacant lot at 18307 White Oak Court where a single family home was being built, said Tinley Park spokesman Scott Niehaus.
"On arrival, they identified two girls about 9 or 10 who needed assistance to get out," Niehaus said.
Niehaus said that at about 12:30 p.m., they were rescued.
"They were both extricated, and were responsive," said Niehaus.
The girls were taken by ambulance to hospitals to be checked out for precautionary measures, he said.
Niehaus did not know how the girls became trapped but said there were no walls constructed on the home.
rsobol@tribune.com
Twitter: @RosemarySobol1
Two girls pulled from trench in Tinley Park
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Two girls pulled from trench in Tinley Park
