Florida Beach Hole Swallows, Kills Young Girl; Experts Warn Against Digging Sand Holes Too Deep

A sand hole at a beach in Florida claimed the life of a young girl after being swallowed and buried alive along with her brother, who survived the incident. The deadly event occurred on Tuesday afternoon, February 20, when the siblings were playing and digging a patch of the Florida beach sand going several deep until it collapsed on top of them. The aftermath of the sand hole collapse was caught on video.

It took beachgoers several minutes to find the children buried under the sand hole. Some of them used their bare hands to dig leading to the young boy being pulled out alive, according to reports earlier this week. The 5-year-old girl Sloan Mattingly and her 7-year-old brother Maddox were on vacation with their parents at a beach in the town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in Florida's Broward County.

Florida Sand Hole Collapse

In the wake of the deadly Florida sand hole collapse, lifeguards in the state reminded parents should be careful when it comes to letting their children dig deep sand holes at the beach. Experts have also reportedly warned people not to dig through sand deeper than their knees.

Similar incidents, involving people being buried in a sand hole, have occurred before. Due to the not-so-popular threat, safety experts warn against digging sand holes too deep relative to the height of the person involved. In the case of the recent Florida sand collapse, there is a growing concern that related deadly events may occur as the spring break season draws near. Aside from children, adults are also at risk from collapsing sands.

Buried Under the Sand

Falling to the trap of a collapsing sand could be tricky for potential rescuers of a victim, since there is no always a clear indicator as to where a specific spot of the sand hole is. In 2011, a California teenager named Matt Mina was buried (for more than 30 minutes) under a sand hole that he was digging when its surrounding surface collapsed on top of him. A video at that time shows dozens of people digging through the sands of Newport Beach.

In the video, the 2011 California sand hole collapse shows frantic beachgoers and local authorities finding Mina who was buried 6 feet under the sand. The teenager managed to survive even after losing consciousness. It can also be seen in the footage the people were digging in several sites and not only in one spot. Still, the most helpful cue for cases like this is a sign where a victim is last seen in a specific spot.

Furthermore, in 2023, an 18-year-old was found dead while buried under several feet of sand in Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Frisco, North Carolina. According to a statement by the National Park Service, the male teenager from Chesapeake, Virginia, died after being trapped in the deep hole that he dug.