Tragedy at Florida Beach: 7-Year-Old Girl Dies in Sand Collapse
While vacationing in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, Indiana siblings Sloan, 7, and Maddox Mattingly, 9, were playing in a large sand hole when it suddenly collapsed, burying them both. Sloan tragically died, and Maddox remains in critical condition.
The Mattingly family had escaped the cold of Fort Wayne for a sunny getaway, but their trip turned into a nightmare on February 20. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as beachgoers and emergency crews tried desperately to free the children.
A GoFundMe created by the family described Sloan as “the purest human being,” and has raised nearly $146,000 to help with funeral costs and medical bills.
Locals were shocked by the incident. One eyewitness claimed the massive hole had been dug earlier by an adult and not the children themselves. The collapse has prompted renewed warnings from the American Lifeguard Association about the dangers of digging large holes in the sand.
The investigation is ongoing.