{"id":25880,"date":"2025-09-04T15:02:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T15:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880"},"modified":"2025-09-04T15:02:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T15:02:40","slug":"indiana-girl-7-buried-alive-playing-in-hole-on-south-florida-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880","title":{"rendered":"Indiana girl, 7, buried alive playing in hole on south Florida beach"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"show-inline-featured-image wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><strong>Indiana\u2019s Sloan and Maddox Mattingly were doing what every <a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/tag\/children\/\">child<\/a>\u00a0does when their toes hit the soft sands of a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/tag\/beach\/\">beach<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>They started playing and digging.<\/strong><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>But the sand, at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/tag\/florida\/\">beach<\/a>, took on a life of its own and swallowed the two siblings, claiming the life of Sloan, 7, and leaving her brother Maddox, 9, fighting for his life in hospital.<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"ofogw69ff4fd911710\" ><div style=\"width:100%; max-width:1200px; margin:0 auto;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bolt-casino.com?r=0BFDBF1283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n    <img \n      src=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f8693ebb-2018-480f-a2f7-0096810c07f0.jpg\" \n      alt=\"200% Deposit Bonus + 10% Cashback\" \n      style=\"width:100%; height:auto; display:block; border-radius:8px; cursor:pointer;\"\n    \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.ofogw69ff4fd911710 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.ofogw69ff4fd911710 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.ofogw69ff4fd911710 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.ofogw69ff4fd911710 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.ofogw69ff4fd911710 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<div id=\"newsner-7e68af50fbd895ef8ddcce54f65cf1ce\" class=\"newsner-7e68af50fbd895ef8ddcce54f65cf1ce newsner-bluebillywig_instream\">\n<div id=\"newsner-429904624\" class=\"newsner-bluebillywig_instream\">\n<div id=\"\">\n<div id=\"bb-iawr-newsner_english_playout-1601396675571335\" class=\"bb_iawr\">\n<div id=\"bb-wr-newsner_english_playout-1601396675571335\" class=\"bb-media bb_wrapper bb-muted bb-phase-init bb-mode-video bb-pendingplay\" data-flags=\"{}\" data-softembargoremainingtime=\"0\" data-sid=\"w88REh2EIgex\" data-isready=\"true\" data-autoplaynextremainingtime=\"0\">\n<div class=\"bb-layer bb-content-layer\">\n<div class=\"bb-fitme bb-head-layer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"bb-fitme bb-poster-layer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><img class=\"bb-poster-image bb-poster-image-1\" alt=\"\" \/><img class=\"bb-poster-image bb-poster-image-2\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bb-layer bb-context-layer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>And now the children\u2019s parents and loved ones are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/tag\/tragedy\/\">grappling<\/a>\u00a0with the \u201cfreak accident\u201d that took the life of the \u201cpurest human being.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-7b53757e28575c661f98a46949a6b59d\" class=\"newsner-7b53757e28575c661f98a46949a6b59d\">\n<div id=\"newsner-1098329172\">\n<div id=\"f9c43800-41b6-4b29-8d82-f9ea5ed24ca1\" class=\"pbs\" data-pbs-root=\"true\" data-pbs-position=\"sticky\" data-pbs-device=\"desktop\" data-pbs-video-title=\"true\" data-pbs-sticky=\"bottom-right\" data-pbs-size=\"small\" data-pbs-logo-pos=\"right\" data-pbs-content=\"playing\" data-pbs-player=\"content\" data-pbs-slot=\"ended\" data-pbs-content-type=\"mrss\" data-pbs-hover=\"true\">\n<div id=\"exp_522c9293-f583-40e9-a0ec-5fb3b659ae70\" class=\"pbs__player shown\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"application\" aria-label=\"Video Player\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__wrapper falcon exp-ui__state__small-view\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__toolbar-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__progress-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__progress\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"slider\" aria-label=\"Video Progress bar\" aria-valuemin=\"0\" aria-valuenow=\"33.171816\" aria-valuemax=\"88.29166900000001\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__progress-bar-preview\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"exp-ui__progress-bullet exp-ui__animation-running\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"exp-ui__progress-background\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"exp-ui__title-and-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__animated-title-wrapper exp-ui__state__active\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__animated-title\">Study Suggests Lyrics Have Gotten Simpler Over TimeStudy Suggests Lyrics Have Gotten Simpler Over Time<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"exp-ui__customer-logo exp-ui__customer-logo-sticky\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"exp-ui__sticky exp-ui__sticky-position__bottom-right\">\n<div class=\"exp-ui__sticky__close-btn\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Close\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In mid-February, Therese and Jason Mattingly packed their two children Maddox, 9, and Sloan 7, and escaped the chilly winter of Fort Wayne, Indiana to the sunny beaches of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida.<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-ac767ab28c48534bc1c9a8af5a62373e\" class=\"newsner-ac767ab28c48534bc1c9a8af5a62373e newsner-incide_content_once\">\n<div id=\"newsner-320032049\" class=\"newsner-incide_content_once\">\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article-thumbnails\" class=\"trc_related_container tbl-trecs-container trc_spotlight_widget trc_elastic trc_elastic_thumbnails-mid\" data-placement-name=\"Mid Article Thumbnails\">\n<div class=\"trc_rbox_container\">\n<div>\n<div id=\"trc_wrapper_8850297885\" class=\"trc_rbox thumbnails-mid trc-content-sponsored\">\n<div class=\"trc_clearer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On February 20, before 3 p.m. the family was making memories at the beach, the children playing in a large sand hole near their parents.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D10111630671338408%26set%3Da.10100632195676798&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"494\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And then, the family vacation left them with a memory nobody wanted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody\u2019s screaming,\u201d cried a beachgoer, who after seeing people frantically digging through a hole, called 911.<\/p>\n<p>According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/911-call-details-moments-after-siblings-swallowed-by-sand-hole-8598622\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">People<\/a>, the caller told dispatch, \u201cThere\u2019s a child that they\u2019re trying to get out.\u201d The caller then explained she heard the children\u2019s father \u201cyelling for help because his child is caught in a hole in the sand,\u201d and while she was on the phone, the caller said the mom began yelling, \u201cMy daughter\u2019s in there.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-924072387\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"ad-modul_intext_145824_1\" class=\"ad-space\" data-google-query-id=\"CN7vxeevv48DFZSqgwcdIEg0KA\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/125128856\/en_newsner_com\/modul_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-dbd6eb763fa76053873db2fa50fc5ebf\" class=\"newsner-dbd6eb763fa76053873db2fa50fc5ebf newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D10108660194447908%26set%3Da.10100632195676798&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"770\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Both Sloan and Maddox were trapped in the sand hole, which was burying the siblings alive.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-attempted-rescue\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Attempted rescue<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/girl-dies-boy-hospitalized-getting-trapped-sand-florida-beach-rcna139734\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">NBC<\/a>\u00a0reports that multiple emergency agencies arrived at the scene and used support boards to prevent the sand from further collapsing, along with shovels to dig Sloan and her brother from the large hole. It\u2019s not clear how long they were trapped before being pulled out.<\/p>\n<p>Both children were taken to the hospital, where Sloan later died.<\/p>\n<p>Maddox was listed in critical condition and as of now, the progress of his recovery is unknown.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA freak accident happened yesterday while we are here on vacation and it took away our greatest 7.5 years. Don\u2019t tell us you\u2019re sorry for our loss\u2026don\u2019t do that to us. We experienced the purest human being and we are forever changed by her,\u201d writes her mom on the GoFundMe created to financially support the family. \u201cWe love you beyond any stretch of the imagination. Our sweet Sloan. What we would give.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D10224045722668651%26set%3Da.3478829767255&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"770\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/sloan-mattingly?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=customer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">GoFundMe<\/a>, that\u2019s raised almost $146,000 of its $150,000 goal, says: \u201cWhat started as an amazing family trip quickly turned into the devastatingly tragic loss of their 7-year-old daughter\/sister Sloan. We know that no amount of money will bring beautiful Sloan back, but your donation can help bring Sloan home from Florida, cover funeral costs and ease the financial stress as they learn to navigate their new world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, friends and family are pouring in with messages of love for the \u201csweet girl,\u201d who \u201cwas SO much bigger than her last moments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D10227885823188764%26set%3Da.3478829767255&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"770\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Family friend, Whitney Kanjala, shares a photo of the family outside of Sloan\u2019s Luxury Ice Cream shop in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Alongside the image on her. Facebook, she writes, \u201cShe was the funniest friend you could ever ask for, the most loyal sister, the [tiniest] yet most acrobatic\u2026and one of the greatest creations Therese Mattingly and Jason Mattingly ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-1022725573\" class=\"newsner-article_inside_content\">\n<div id=\"ad-modul_intext_145824_2\" class=\"ad-space\" data-google-query-id=\"CN3EqOyvv48DFaehgwcdNnwhgg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/125128856\/en_newsner_com\/modul_1__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsner-28d98864e9d24575155e6ad885788b9d\" class=\"newsner-28d98864e9d24575155e6ad885788b9d newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>On February 22, Sloan\u2019s father shared the same photo: \u201cWe took Sloan to this ice cream shop with her name on it. It was a rainy nasty day but we made the best of what we had. We also hit up a local arcade and sang makeshift karaoke at our Airbnb.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-locals-devastated-shocked\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Locals \u2018devastated\u2019shocked\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve lived here 50 years, I\u2019ve never seen anything like that,\u201d one local told CBS of the beach that currently has no lifeguards on duty. \u201cI\u2019m shocked. I\u2019m absolutely shocked. I had no idea that digging out\u2026something could happen where it could collapse underneath someone just hanging out and playing on the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another local offered his own theories about the hole.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto%2F%3Ffbid%3D10110446372632508%26set%3Da.10100632195676798&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"770\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Speaking with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcmiami.com\/news\/local\/witness-recalls-upsetting-moments-of-sand-hole-tragedy-in-lauderdale-by-the-sea\/3240888\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">NBC Miami<\/a>, local Harry Defina explains that the children were playing in hole previously dug by a man, only about 30 minutes before tragedy struck.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was walking by the beach, and I saw a man\u2026digging a really big hole\u2026up to his chest. I looked at him and he looked back, and I walked away, I didn\u2019t think to go over and tell him not to do it,\u201d Defina said. \u201cI\u2019m even upset that someone would imply that those kids dug that hole. They didn\u2019t dig that hole. It was massive and it ended up like 18-feet-by-6-feet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Struggling to hold back his tears, Defina shares what he saw when the kids were buried: \u201cI see kids in the hole. I could see the boy a little bit, but all I can see\u2026I\u2019m not going to be able to finish this\u2026all I could see was the top of the girl\u2019s head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Police are still investigating the incident, which also prompted a warning from the American Lifeguard Association\u00a0about the dangers of sand holes.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjason.mattingly.7%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02cmea8zry9x4SjLqdx9reEVarWnoN6gdHczuVCHsXXFhhTe3wgx4fW83gU2QS4c5Kl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"653\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recent incident in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a heart-wrenching reminder of why we must work together to keep our beaches safe,\u201d said Bernard J. Fisher II, the association\u2019s director of health and safety. \u201cBy implementing these measures and fostering a community of safety and awareness, we can prevent future tragedies and ensure that our beaches remain places of joy and recreation for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsner-c34b88f5ca39372943381c45004e06c6\" class=\"newsner-c34b88f5ca39372943381c45004e06c6 newsner-amp_article_inside_content\"><\/div>\n<p>The association is advocating for increased beach patrols in areas known for sand digging.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RIP little one.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>It is so tragic that innocent children were doing something so harmless when something so horrifying happened.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Please share this story so we can spread some love to the grieving family.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Indiana\u2019s Sloan and Maddox Mattingly were doing what every child\u00a0does when their toes hit the soft sands of a\u00a0beach.\u00a0They started playing and digging. But the sand, at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea\u00a0beach, took on a life of its own and swallowed the two siblings, claiming the life of Sloan, 7, and leaving her brother Maddox, 9, fighting for his&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,17,11,20,24,15,12,25,22,18,16,21,14,23,13],"class_list":["post-25880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-diseases","tag-fitness","tag-health-tips","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-healthy-living","tag-medical-advice","tag-medical-awareness","tag-medical-research","tag-mental-health","tag-nutrition","tag-patient-care","tag-preventive-care","tag-public-health","tag-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Indiana girl, 7, buried alive playing in hole on south Florida beach - VM News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Indiana girl, 7, buried alive playing in hole on south Florida beach - VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Indiana\u2019s Sloan and Maddox Mattingly were doing what every child\u00a0does when their toes hit the soft sands of a\u00a0beach.\u00a0They started playing and digging. But the sand, at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea\u00a0beach, took on a life of its own and swallowed the two siblings, claiming the life of Sloan, 7, and leaving her brother Maddox, 9, fighting for his...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-04T15:02:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Beach-FI-664x350-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"664\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"vmfavorite\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"vmfavorite\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"vmfavorite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\"},\"headline\":\"Indiana girl, 7, buried alive playing in hole on south Florida beach\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-04T15:02:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880\"},\"wordCount\":987,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Beach-FI-664x350-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Chronic Diseases\",\"Fitness\",\"Health Tips\",\"Healthcare Technology\",\"Healthy Lifestyle\",\"Healthy Living\",\"Medical Advice\",\"Medical Awareness\",\"Medical Research\",\"Mental Health\",\"Nutrition\",\"Patient Care\",\"Preventive Care\",\"Public Health\",\"Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=25880\",\"name\":\"Indiana girl, 7, buried alive playing in hole on south Florida beach - 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