Orinda Teen Still In Critical Condition; Family and Friends Remain Hopeful

An Orinda teen trapped for several minutes when the sand tunnel he was building during a church beach outing fell in on him last weekend is responding to certain kinds of stimulation, and his vital organs are functioning on their own, according to his family.

Ryan Buchanan, 17, was on a field trip to Sunset State Beach near Watsonville with a group from Creekside Community Church in Alamo when the accident occurred Saturday. Ryan and a friend had dug two deep holes in the sand and connected them with a tunnel when he entered the tunnel and it fell in on him.

Friends and rescuers said the Miramonte High School student was under seven feet of sand for about ten minutes before he could be extracted.

Buchanan was rushed by helicopter to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and is being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit there. His family posts periodic updates on his condition.

On Wednesday the family reported that Buchanan had been taken off all his sedation medication and that his heart, lungs, and other organs are functioning on their own. He is also responding to physical and light stimulation.

Buchanan's friends and members of the congregation have been holding nightly prayer vigils for the 17-year-old, who finished his junior year at Miramonte this past term and who played varsity lacrosse for his school.