Girl, 7, BURIED ALIVE while digging sand hold on Florida beach ‘tried to grab her brother’ in her final moments

• Sand fell on top of her before going still, grieving uncle says

The seven-year-old girl who died after being buried inside a sand hole tried to save herself by grabbing onto her brother during her final moments. 

Sloan Mattingly was pulled out 20 minutes after the sand caved around her and her brother, Maddox, at the Lauderdale-by-the Sea beach. 

Victim Impact Statement

Sloan’s grieving uncle, Chris Sloan, said the young girl kept trying to hold on to Maddox’s leg to get out of the sand but eventually the boy could not feel her holding onto him anymore. 

‘We found out that after the sand had caved. She kept trying to grab up Maddox’s leg to get up out of the sand and eventually he couldn’t feel her moving anymore’, Chris told KFOR. 

He described Sloan as a girl with a ‘lot of energy and just totally innocent’.

Chris further said that the family rarely ever took vacations and were constantly texting updates on the family group chat. 

She Was Rushed to be Rescued

Maddox was rescued and was taken to the hospital in stable condition. 

‘She was always happy. She was really fun to be around. She had a lot of energy and just totally innocent, and that’s what hurts the most in all this.

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‘They were having a good time. They were staying at an Airbnb. Everybody was really excited to actually see them out there.

‘They don’t really go on vacation much, but they went to Ft. Lauderdale to the beach. 

‘They’d been posting pictures the last couple of days they’ve been out there on social media. 

‘I got a text message as did everybody on the group chat to call a number for a conference call. 

‘Once we all got on the line, my brother, David, said, “Ok. What I have to tell you is going to be the worst news of your entire life”. 

‘And it was. He said that she had passed away, that Sloanie had passed away.

‘The sand had been up to his [Maddox] chest, and he was screaming for help, and a lot of people did come and help. There’s actually some video of that. 

‘She was non-responsive at the scene is what we know,’ Chris said.