Girl falls into sinkhole at school in Kelso

KELSO, Wash. (KPTV) - A 12-year-old girl fell into a sinkhole at a Kelso school and became stuck in the mud and sand that caved in around her Thursday morning.

The girl fell into a hole that was 6 feet in diameter, but Huntington Middle School staff members managed to pull her out before emergency crews arrived.

Cowlitz County firefighters said they responded to the school at 7:20 a.m. They found the girl conscious and alert, but complaining of leg pain.

She was evaluated in an ambulance, but not taken to a hospital. Instead, her parents were notified to pick her up at the school.

There's no word on her current condition.

The sinkhole is located near a fire hydrant in front of the school, and Kelso Public Works had reportedly been working on the problem before Thursday's incident. However, the sinkhole opened up before city workers could fully deal with the threat.

Huntington Middle School is located on Redpath Road.