Florida Sinkhole Continues to Grow, Victim Might Never Be Recovered
The Florida sinkhole that swallowed a man while he was sleeping Thursday night is still expanding as police evacuated several houses near the one that is sitting on the sinkhole.
"The hole took the entire bedroom," said Douglas Duvall, a county sheriff who tried to rescue the victim, Jeff Bush, as he was sucked underground. "You could see the bed frame, the dresser, everything was sinking."
Mr. Bush is most likely dead, and the family is beginning to come to terms with the idea that his body will never be recovered. "I really don't think they are going to be able to find him," Jeremy Bush, the victim's brother said on Saturday. He "will be there forever."
The sinkhole doesn't appear to be getting wider, however — only deeper. Unfortunately, no photos of the sinkhole have been taken yet.
Sinkholes are a common occurrence in central Florida. The Times reports that "more than 500 sinkholes have been reported in Hillsborough County alone since the government started keeping track in 1954, according to the state's environmental agency."
Engineers are confounded as to why the house has not collapsed yet.