Imagine taking a blissful family vacation on the sunny beaches of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, only for it to turn into a devastating nightmare. That’s exactly what happened to Therese and Jason Mattingly, when their two children, Sloan, 7, and Maddox, 9, were tragically buried alive while playing in a sand hole.

The incident left the family and their loved ones grappling with the shocking loss of Sloan, described as the “purest human being.” The siblings were trapped in the rapidly collapsing hole, and although emergency services rushed to the scene and did their best to rescue them, Sloan tragically didn’t make it. Maddox, her brother, is currently in critical condition, and we can only hope for his recovery.