Florida Beach Tragedy: Young Girl Dies After Sand Hole Collapse
Tragedy struck in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, when siblings Sloan and Maddox Mattingly were trapped in a sand hole while playing during a family vacation. Despite frantic rescue efforts, seven-year-old Sloan did not survive. Her nine-year-old brother, Maddox, remains in critical condition.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene after the sand collapsed, burying the children beneath it. Support boards and shovels were used in a desperate attempt to free them from the unstable pit. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic and heartbreaking.
Sloan’s mother, Therese Mattingly, shared her anguish in the aftermath, calling her daughter the “purest human being.” The family’s dream vacation quickly became an unimaginable nightmare.