Sloan Mattingly’s parents are opening up about their daughter’s tragic death at a Florida beach. The 7-year-old was buried alive while digging with her brother for seashells in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on February 20.

“We were right there,” Jason Mattingly told Good Morning America. “It just happened so fast.” He described the moment as a blur, unable to bear the weight of the sand to save Sloan.

Therese Mattingly emphasized the suddenness of the incident. “It didn’t matter that we were literally right there. It was just a hole, and then it was nothing. And then it just becomes chaos and horror.”

The family’s outing turned into a nightmare when a sand hole unexpectedly collapsed, trapping both children. Despite their frantic efforts to rescue them, Sloan couldn’t be saved.