Buried Indiana Boy Starts School

Aug. 21--Nathan Woessner, 6, started school this week, marking a big point in his recovery after being buried in an Indiana sand dune for several hours last month.

"It is a huge milestone," said Nathan's father Greg Woessner. "It just shows you God's working in everything just to get us to where we are after such a short period of time."

Nathan's favorite part of his first week of first grade at Unity Christian School in Fulton, Ill., has been playing outside with his classmates, his father said.

The grains of sand left in Nathan's lungs worried doctors because they might cause breathing problems for the boy. But so far, Woessner said, Nathan has not experienced any discomfort.

Nathan's story became national news after he survived for four hours beneath 11 feet of sand on July 12 while family and emergency personnel raced to save him. Doctors said he had to have had some way to breathe in order to survive.

Confounding the mystery, geologists and the National Park Service said they weren't sure how the hole could have formed. The NPS and the Environmental Protection Agency have launched an on-site investigation into what happened. Last week, investigators found a second hole, which they are still analyzing this week.

Woessner said Nathan will attend periodic doctor appointments to check for long-term issues. He said his family is interested in the ongoing investigation at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Mount Baldy. Woessner plans to meet with investigators when he visits Michigan City, Ind., next week to honor the emergency personnel who helped rescue his son.

Nathan's family, who lives in Sterling, believes that nationwide prayers contributed to his swift recovery. Nathan's father said the tragic incident has reaffirmed his faith.

"There's a lot more depth to it," Woessner said. "God has definitely played a major role in this. And it's just -- the biggest thing is it is (God's) miracle."

Nathan doesn't remember the details of the horrific event, a blessing for now, Woessner said. He hopes to someday share with his son what happened, with things like newspaper clippings and letters of support.

"We feel that ... the nation came together and prayed for Nathan," Woessner said, "and that is ultimately what saved him."

ehirst@tribune.com -- Twitter: @ellenjeanhirst

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