Indiana Girl Dies After Sand Hole Collapses, Buries Brother During Florida Beach Vacation

The authorities confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Sloan Mattingly, a five-year-old Indiana girl, died, and her brother, Maddox, was hospitalized after the sand hole they were digging in at a Florida beach collapsed on top of them.

A video taken by a bystander at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's beach showed that the boy was buried in his chest, but the girl was fully covered. It also showed about 20 adults trying to dig her out using their hands and plastic pails, but the hole kept collapsing.

Indiana Girl Dies at Florida Beach Tragedy

(Photo : DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
Sargassum algae is seen on the sand as people enjoy the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 24, 2022.

According to The Guardian, Mattingly died when a 4-5ft-deep hole collapsed on her. Lifeguards were off duty at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, a little community north of Fort Lauderdale, so no professionals were immediately available to help.

According to 911 calls released by the Broward county sheriff's office on Wednesday, the first deputies arrived about four minutes after the collapse, followed by paramedics and firefighters moments later.

In the background of the emergency call, passersby can be heard wailing in pain as they try to rescue Mattingly. Two callers were identified as registered nurses, but they could do nothing to help.

One nurse told an operator that there was a little girl buried under the sand, and they had not rescued her yet. Another weeping woman told the dispatcher that there was a whole circle of men trying to dig the sand.

Sandra King, a representative for the Pompano Beach fire-rescue department, said the girl was found unconscious after rescue workers took over for the bystanders. The rescue workers used shovels to clear the sand and boards to stabilize the hole.

However, King claimed that Mattingly was declared dead at the hospital. Maddox's medical status is still unknown.

She added that the paramedics who treated the children had to be relieved from their shift as the children's parents were extremely distraught.

Furthermore, King described the incident as horrible and said that children playing in the sand could encounter a life-threatening situation at any time.

Lifeguards Warn Families

Patrick Bafford, the lifeguard manager for Clearwater, Florida, said his staff will alert families if a hole gets too big, but sometimes they are not detected in time.

Bafford continued, "You want them to have fun, [but] there's a difference between fun and a hazard they might face. Bad things can still happen no matter what. Use good judgment."

Shawn DeRosa, the owner of a company that trains lifeguards, said many people do not consider the dangers of allowing children to dig deep or wide holes.

He also claimed that the families knew the sand might slide down or a wall could collapse. But he said they did not seem to envision their child being buried in the sand so quickly.