In the seaside town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, a beach outing turned tragic for seven-year-old Sloan Mattingly, resulting in her death and injury to her nine-year-old brother, Maddox Mattingly.
As reported by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and corroborated by eyewitnesses, the siblings were vacationing from Indiana with their parents. On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, around 3 p.m., they encountered danger when the deep hole they were digging collapsed unexpectedly.
The hole, estimated to be about five to six feet in depth, abruptly caved in, burying Sloan under the sand and partially covering Maddox up to his chest.
A number of bystanders along with officials from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office described the ensuing desperate rescue effort involving over a dozen people. This included emergency personnel from Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, who worked tirelessly to extract the children from the collapsed hole.
Despite the immediate response and the fervent rescue attempts, which were captured on cell phone videos by onlookers, Sloan was unresponsive when paramedics finally reached her.
Both siblings were immediately transported to Broward Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. Sloan was declared dead upon arrival while Maddox received treatment and was reported to be in stable condition. The specifics of his hospitalization were not immediately available.
This heartbreaking incident has sparked renewed concerns about the hazards associated with digging deep holes in the sand. This subject has been a focal point of beach safety experts and organizations, including the American Lifeguard Association, for years. Sand collapses can occur suddenly, and the weight of the sand can restrict a person’s ability to breathe. Despite the seemingly harmless nature of this activity, the results can be lethal within minutes, underscoring the need for increased vigilance and caution.
Bernard J. Fisher II, director of health and safety for the association, underscored the incident as a stark reminder of the need for preventative measures to ensure the safety of all beachgoers, particularly children.
The incident in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is not an isolated one. Similar tragic incidents have been reported across the country, including the 2022 death of an 18-year-old in New Jersey, who was trapped in a hole he dug with his sister.
The National Parks Service advises beachgoers not to dig holes deeper than knee height and to fill in any dug holes before leaving the beach to prevent such tragedies. This guidance stems from the inherent risk of sand instability, which can lead to collapse and suffocation within minutes.
