What began as a fun family getaway to Florida turned into tragedy when a young girl from Indiana lost her life in a freak sand collapse.
On February 20, Therese and Jason Mattingly took their children, 9-year-old Maddox and 7-year-old Sloan, to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to escape the cold winter of Fort Wayne. While enjoying the afternoon, the siblings played in a large sand hole near their parents — a game that soon turned deadly.
Shortly before 3 p.m., the hole caved in, trapping both children beneath the sand. Bystanders heard frantic screams as the parents and beachgoers dug desperately to free them. One witness told 911 operators she saw the children’s father yelling for help, followed by their mother screaming, “My daughter’s in there!”
Emergency crews rushed to the scene, using shovels and support boards to stabilize the shifting sand. Both Maddox and Sloan were eventually pulled out and taken to the hospital. Sadly, Sloan did not survive, while Maddox was left in critical condition.
Sloan’s mother shared a heartbreaking tribute on the family’s GoFundMe page:
“A freak accident happened yesterday while we are here on vacation and it took away our greatest 7.5 years… We experienced the purest human being and we are forever changed by her.”
The fundraiser — which has nearly reached its $150,000 goal — will help cover funeral costs and bring Sloan’s body back to Indiana. Friends and family described her as a funny, loyal, and spirited girl “so much bigger than her last moments.”
Locals expressed shock, with one longtime resident saying, “I’ve lived here 50 years, I’ve never seen anything like that.” Another witness, Harry Defina, claimed the children were playing in a massive hole dug earlier by an adult, measuring nearly 18 feet long and six feet wide. He recalled through tears: “All I could see was the top of the girl’s head.”
The incident has prompted warnings from the American Lifeguard Association, which called the accident “heart-wrenching” and urged for more beach patrols to prevent similar tragedies.
For now, the Mattingly family is left mourning the loss of a little girl remembered as joyful, adventurous, and deeply loved.
RIP sweet Sloan.