The parents of a seven-year-old girl who died after being buried under the sand on a Florida beach have launched a national campaign to help prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
Sloan Mattingly had been helping dig a hole with her nine-year-old brother Maddox when It collapsed on Tuesday, February 20.
Beachgoers at the scene in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea rushed to remove the couple, but Sloan died after being taken to hospital.
She was reportedly buried in a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) deep pit for about 20 minutes. Her brother was also taken to the hospital, but is stable.
Sloan’s mother Therese and father Jason have launched a campaign encouraging families to build sand castles when they are at the beach instead of digging potentially dangerous holes.
Ms Mattingly said in a Facebook post to raise awareness of the campaign: “Sloan’s legacy is her heart and spirit, but it’s also a little bit of this. Please stay safe and DO NOT hesitate to speak up!”
The “Sandcastles For Sloan” campaign offers beachgoers tips and advice to help prevent adults or children from becoming buried under the sand.
It warns that “sand holes can collapse quickly” and advises people to “avoid digging deeper than knee height of the shortest person in your group.”
Photo: Sand castles for Sloan
Beachgoers are also encouraged to fill in gaps once they are “done playing” to help keep other people safe.
Families are also urged not to allow children to put sand in their mouths.
A message from the campaign reads: “Sloan was a light in the world, a sweet girl who loved dogs and the color red.
“To honor Sloan’s memory, please share this message with your beach community.”
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The Mattingly family, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was on vacation when the tragedy occurred.
Mrs Mattingly described her daughter’s death as a “freak accident” in a tribute shared on a GoFundMe page for the family in February.
He added: “She took our best 7.5 years away from us. Don’t tell us you’re sorry for our loss…don’t do that to us. We experience the purest human being and she changes us forever.”
“We love you beyond any imagination. Our sweet Sloan. What we would give.”
The Mattingly family. Photo: Facebook
The page raised more than $162,000 (£127,000) to help the family cover funeral costs and provide financial assistance during their grieving period.
Sloan’s uncle, Chris Sloan, whose given name was his mother’s maiden name, told KFOR-TV in February: “They were having a good time. Everyone was very excited to see them there.”
He added: “We later found out that after the sand sank, [Sloan] He continued to try to grab Maddox’s leg to pull himself up from the sand, and eventually he couldn’t feel it move anymore.
“The sand had been up to [Maddox’s] chest, and he was screaming for help, and a lot of people came to help.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
