Family remembers Sloan Mattingly as she tragically buried by sand on beach – uncle shares heartbreaking account of her final moments
The parents of a girl who tragically passed away after being buried by sand on a Florida beach have honored the memory of their seven-year-old daughter, Sloan Mattingly.
Sloan was helping her nine-year-old brother, Maddox, dig a deep hole when it suddenly collapsed on Tuesday afternoon.
Beachgoers in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea rushed to rescue the siblings, but unfortunately, Sloan did not survive after being taken to the hospital.
The hole at the beach. Pic: NBC News
She was trapped in the 1.8m (6ft) deep pit for approximately 20 minutes, while her brother is currently in stable condition at the hospital.
In a heartfelt tribute on a GoFundMe page, Sloan’s mother, Therese, described her daughter’s death as a “freak accident” and expressed the family’s profound grief.
More than $130,000 (£103,000) has been raised through the website to assist with funeral expenses.
The Mattingly family. Pic: Facebook
Her father also expressed his love for Sloan on social media, saying, “Our baby is in heaven, love you too much Sloan.”
The family was on vacation when the tragedy unfolded, leaving their loved ones and witnesses in shock.
Chris Sloan, Sloan’s uncle, shared how Sloan was trying to help her brother out of the sand before she stopped moving, emphasizing her vibrant and innocent spirit.
The community remembers Sloan as a joyful and energetic child, which makes her absence even more heartbreaking.
Read more from Sky News:
US and Britain launch strikes on Yemen
Israel seeks open-ended control over Gaza
Trump wins South Carolina primary
An eyewitness, Harry Defina, recounted seeing the father digging with the children and shared the heartbreaking moment when the sand collapsed on them.
He described the distressing scene and the father’s anguish at the beach.
Sloan Mattingly was seven-years-old. Pic: Facebook
This tragic incident has prompted the American Lifeguard Association to issue a warning about the dangers of digging holes on beaches, emphasizing the need for increased safety measures in popular beach areas.
Director Bernard J Fisher II stressed the importance of beach safety in light of this heart-wrenching event.
