Weeks after their little girl passed away after becoming trapped in a collapsed sand hole at the beach, Sloan Mattingly’s parents are speaking out.
The 7-year-old lover of Taylor Swift and her family were enjoying a beach day in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on February 20 when tragedy struck. According to Jason and Therese Mattingly, Sloan and her brother were digging in the sand looking for seashells when a hole unexpectedly opened up, burying both of the children alive.
As Jason and Therese explained to Good Morning America, they were right there when the tragedy occurred and immediately started digging to save their children’s lives.
EXCLUSIVE: Parents of 7-year-old girl who died after getting buried in sand at a Florida beach speak out to @eriellereshef: ”When we go to the beach, we think of water safety. And this never, ever once crossed my mind." https://t.co/D5zrXV8KtM pic.twitter.com/ktUB2CJymh
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 14, 2024
“It was kind of a blur, and it’s probably maybe my mind protecting myself, but it just happened so fast,” Jason said of that moment. “In my mind I had her in my hands, but the weight of the sand was too much.”
Therese added that everything happened in an instant. “It didn’t matter that we were literally right there. It was just a hole and then it was nothing. And then it just becomes chaos and horror.”
Once first responders arrived, the children were found several feet beneath the sand’s surface. Maddix, their son, was pulled out first, then Sloan.
By the time Sloan was rescued, she had been buried for more than 15 minutes, GMA reports. But to Jason and Therese, time stood still.
Sloan was unresponsive and rushed to a local hospital, where she later died. “Everyone tried their hardest but unfortunately, it didn’t work out in our favor,” said Jason after thanking first responders, hospital staff, and others on the beach that day for their efforts.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Therese added, speaking to the others on the beach that day. “You witnessed our horror.”
Now, Therese hopes that by sharing Sloan’s devastating story, more families will be more vigilant about the other, less obvious, dangers when spending a day at the beach.
“You go to the beach you think of water safety, and this never ever once crossed my mind. And of course looking now it’s like, ‘Of course.’ And so that’s where it’s really frustrating.”
They hope Sloan’s story will encourage beach towns to post more signage warning people of the dangers of sinkholes. “And strangers, if you see something that’s dangerous, take the courage and say something,” Jason adds.
According to experts, People reports that sand holes should be “no deeper than the knee of the shortest person digging the hole.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mattingly family during this truly devastating time.