Tragedy struck at a Florida beach on Tuesday, February 21, 2024. A 7-year-old girl died after a hole she and her brother were digging on the beach at Lauderdale-By-The-Sea collapsed. Sloan and Maddox Mattingly were on a family vacation with their parents.
The hole was not a small one. It was around 6 feet deep and collapsed around the brother and sister. It is not known exactly how long they were buried. Strangers and first responders helped dig the kids out. They were transported to Broward General Medical Center.
Everyone worked hard for a better outcome for Sloan. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Sandra King spoke to the Miami Herald about the incident. “It was an unfathomable accident,” she stated. “We were conducting life-saving techniques to try to bring her pulse back, and it never did recover, and she was pronounced dead at the hospital." Maddox is in stable condition.
Local residents were also impacted by this horrible accident. “I've lived here 50 years, I’ve never seen anything like that,” one local told CBS. “I’m shocked. I’m absolutely shocked. I had no idea that digging out … something could happen where it could collapse underneath someone just hanging out and playing on the beach.”
More from LittleThings: The Strange Historical Reasons We Take Trips To The Beach
Unfortunately, there is a history of incidents like these. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, from 1997 to 2007 there were 52 events similar to this one. Thirty-one people died as a result.
To learn more, watch this video.
