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Sink Hole Swallows Girl During Ballgame
March 30, 20099-Year-Old Paje Wiklund's Friends Pull Her Out Of Hole
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A 9-year-old girl playing baseball on Portland city land Wednesday was suddenly swallowed by a sink hole and rescued by the children playing with her, reported television station KPTV.
The child's grandmother said it's a miracle her granddaughter is alive after she fell through the top of an old septic or cesspool system in a vacant lot owned by the city of Portland.
What started as a carefree game of baseball Wednesday turned scary for three children when Paje Wiklund, 9, disappeared under the ground as she was running to first base.
"When I got there, I fell down, down on my bottom, and it was all dark," Paje said.
"I turned around to see where Paje was, and all I could see was her little hand waving and her saying, 'Help!' yelling, 'Help!'" Danni Wiklund-Abbot said.
While Danni, 9, ran for help, Gabbi Wiklund-Abbot, 10, managed to pull Paje out of the hole.
"I was thinking, 'We got to get her out.' I didn't want her to fall and get hurt," Gabbi said.
Paje's grandmother, Karin Wiklund, said the girl fell through the ground and luckily landed on an old pipe that kept her from falling an estimated 16 to 20 feet more to the bottom of the hole.
"She could've been killed. She could've suffocated. It could've been really, really bad," Wiklund said.
Paje's family members said they are grateful the pipe was there because they shudder to think how they would've rescued their child otherwise.
"She's got an angel watching. She has too," Wiklund said.
The land is owned by Portland Parks, but it's undeveloped. The city said it does everything possible to make sure land it owns has no hidden dangers, but no one knew the old septic system was there.
City workers filled the hole Thursday afternoon.
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