Sloan Mattingly, 7, was described as ‘always happy’ by her family
The parents of a girl who died after she was buried under sand on a Florida beach have paid tribute to their daughter.
Sloan Mattingly, seven, and her brother Maddox, nine, had been digging a hole in the sand on Tuesday afternoon when it collapsed on top of them.
The pair were pulled out and taken to hospital but Sloan’s life couldn’t be saved. Maddox is recovering and is said to be in stable condition.
It’s believed Sloan was buried in the 1.8m (6ft) deep hole on the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea beach for around 20 minutes.
The children’s mother, Therese, wrote a tribute to her daughter on a GoFundMe page set up for the family.
She said: ‘A freak accident happened yesterday while we are here on vacation and it took away our greatest 7.5 years.
‘Don’t tell us you’re sorry for our loss… don’t do that to us. We experienced the purest human being and we are forever changed by her.’
The hole that collapsed on the siblings (Picture: WPLG Local 10)
The GoFundMe page was set up to help cover the costs of bringing Sloan’s body back to her home in Indiana and her funeral. It’s raised more than $130,000 (£103,000).
Sloan’s father Jason also paid tribute, posting on social media: ‘Our baby is in heaven, love you too much Sloan.’
The family of four were on holiday when the tragedy happened.
Sloan’s uncle Chris Sloan told KFOR-TV: ‘They were having a good time. Everybody was really excited to actually see them out there.
Sloan with her mum Therese (Picture: Facebook)
Sloan with her dad Jason (Picture: Facebook)
He added: ‘Later we found out that after the sand had caved, [Sloan] kept trying to grab up Maddox’s leg to get up out of the sand, and eventually he couldn’t feel her moving anymore.
‘The sand had been up to [Maddox’s] chest, and he was screaming for help, and a lot of people did come and help.’
Mr Sloan said his niece was ‘always happy’, with lots of energy and really fun to be around.
One witness, Harry Defina, told NBC 6 South Florida he thought the father had been helping the children dig the hole shortly before the collapse.
The youngster with her older brother Maddox (Picture: Oklahoma News)
He added: ‘I could see the boy a little bit, but all I can see… was the top of the girl’s head. I saw the father was just beside himself.
‘It’s still such an upsetting episode to have been there.’
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: ‘At approximately 3.16 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 20, Broward County Regional Communications received a call reporting two children trapped in the sand near 4424 El Mar Drive in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
‘Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue responded immediately.
‘On scene, emergency personnel located two siblings, 9-year-old Maddox Mattingly and his 7-year-old sister, Sloan Mattingly.
‘Paramedics transported the girl to Broward Health Medical Center. Later that day, Sloan Mattingly was pronounced deceased.’
Sloan’s parents said they were ‘forever changed’ by having their daughter in their lives (Picture: Facebook)
Emergency services and others trying to dig the children out (Picture: CBS Miami)
Police continue to investigate the incident.
The accident has led to the American Lifeguard Association warning people about the dangers of digging holes on beaches, Sky News reported.
It urged authorities to increase patrols in areas where the activity is popular.
Director of health and safety, Bernard J Fisher II, said: ‘The recent incident in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a heart-wrenching reminder of why we must work together to keep our beaches safe.’
Last December, an Australian man, 25-year-old Josh Taylor, died after being buried alive in a 1.5m pit where he and his friends had been roasting a pig on the picturesque Bribie Island off the coast of Queensland.
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