LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. – Lauderdale-by-the-Sea commissioners met Tuesday evening to discuss a number of measures, including beach lifeguards, following the death of Sloan Mattingly.
The 7-year-old, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was playing in a sand hole on the town’s beach with her 9-year-old brother, Maddox, when it collapsed and trapped the pair inside last Tuesday. Maddox survived, but Sloan did not; officials said Sloan was under the sand for more than 15 minutes.
In the days following the tragedy, local officials have been hit with not only questions, but criticism. They hoped to address those concerns at the meeting.
“I feel a tremendous amount of guilt over this little girl’s death,” said Commissioner Theo Poulopoulos. “I’m not sitting here saying let’s think about it. I’m sitting here saying let’s do it.”
The beaches in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea do not have lifeguards on duty and unlike Fort Lauderdale, the town does not have an ordinance against digging holes in the sand.
“We’ve had many conversations,” Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Mayor Christopher Vincent said. “And we’re not the only beaches that currently don’t have lifeguards.”
Witnesses told Local 10 News the hole was about 6 feet deep and was already there before the children started playing in it.
“Could we have saved Sloan’s life? We don’t know that,” said Vincent.
The town, in a post to X, the social networking site formerly known as Twitter, relayed an update from the Broward Sheriff’s Office on its investigation of the collapse.
“Homicide Unit detectives say at this time they have no evidence that suggests a man dug the sand hole where the children were trapped prior to the incident,” the post reads. “The circumstances surrounding this case remain part of an active and ongoing investigation.”
Vincent said it’s unlikely commissioners will be able to pass any measure Tuesday.
Many have questioned if financial cost is the biggest obstacle to having lifeguards on the beaches, but Vincent said this isn’t the case. He says it will likely come down to liability concerns.
“I don’t believe putting lifeguards on the beach creates a nanny state,” said Poulopoulos. “I understand that there’s been a tradition to not have lifeguards. Time to end that tradition.”
The town manager has 30 days to come back with a proposal and price for what it could take to increase safety on the beach.
But by the time that happens, there will be a new commission.
Elections in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea are slated for March 19.