leak under slab

[jwidener]

Hi I have a vinyl pool and the supply line is now leaking under the slab. I started to dig it out and sand started pouring out with the water remaining in the line. I know it is the supply line because it does not continue to leak about 10 minutes after the pump is shut off. My question is...Is it ok to dig under the slab to fix the leak without the vinyl wall crashing in? I have done plumbing for years so I know I can fix the pipe, I am just afraid of what the liner might do if I dig a bunch of dirt out. In my mind the dirt is helping the liner stay in place so it seems scary to dig. Or, should I drain the pool half way and then make the repair? Any help would be greatly appreciated. My wife and I can't afford to have someone come in and fix right away and I would like to get the pool back up and running before it gets too dirty.
Thanks in advance!!
Josh

[Teapot]

Can I ask what the pool wall is made of? Ordinarily a small section being opened up would be fine, what depth is the pipe at?

[jwidener]

Thank you for the response. The pool has vinyl walls with like a foam board behind the vinyl. I am not sure yet how deep the pipe is. I started digging at least 12 inches and saw nothing. I wouldn't think it would be that much deeper though. I was just afraid the vinyl might give way.

[Teapot]

Ok, I saw something like that at a trade show back in 2010. I noted then it would be tricky to work on. Then be careful, not as strong as normal, would it be safer to empty? Pipes often 2 feet down but some are at the floor level.