Woman searching for shark teeth rescued after excavation wall collapses

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — A woman digging for shark teeth in southwest Florida was buried when an excavation wall caved in, authorities said.

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According to a Facebook post by North Port Fire Rescue, the woman, who was not identified, survived but had to be taken to an area hospital. Rescue teams arrived to find the woman at the base of an excavation site, where she had been digging for the shark teeth, WINK-TV reported.

“The digging at the base caused the wall to collapse, briefly covering the victim completely,” North Port Fire Rescue wrote. “Friends who were with the victim were able to free her from underneath the pile” before firefighters arrived at the scene.

The woman was “alert and oriented” when firefighters arrived, the Miami Herald reported. She was lodged at the bottom of a 12-foot excavation site bordered by water on the opposite side, firefighters wrote on Facebook.

They used ropes and a Stokes basket -- also known as a wire basket stretcher -- to create a haul system to bring the woman to ground level, WINK reported.

The woman was airlifted to an area hospital for treatment, according to the television station.

Collecting shark teeth is a common hobby for Floridians and visitors to the state, who search waterways and excavation sites, the Herald reported.

North Port is located about 85 miles south of Tampa.