Florida Sinkhole: Rescuers Resume Search For Missing Man


Rescuers have resumed their search for the man they believe was killed when a sinkhole opened inside his Florida home.

Officials said the search was called off Friday evening over fears that the ground was unstable. An engineer with the Hillsborough County Urban Search and Rescue team said he was surprised the house hadn’t completely caved in.

According to ABC News, officials discovered a large body of water beneath Jeff Bush’s home. Rescuers said this will make their search for the missing man even more difficult.

Hillsborough County administrator Mike Merrill told NPR that officials were doing what they could to find the missing man while keeping rescuers safe. Although family members are anxious to retrieve Bush’s body, Merrill said they must approach the situation with extreme caution.

He explained:

“This is not your typical sinkhole. This is a chasm. For that reason, we’re being very deliberate. They would like us to go in quickly and locate Mr. Bush.”

Hillsborough County Fire Chief Ron Rogers described the scenario as “complex.” He said the sinkhole in Bush’s house continues to collapse. This is making it difficult for rescuers to get inside and locate the man’s body.

The Inquisitr previously reported that Jeff Bush was in his bed when the sinkhole opened up inside his Florida home. Experts believe the opening is around 100 feet wide and upwards of 30 feet deep.

Although officials have yet to locate his body, they currently believe that Bush died during the accident. Monitoring equipment lowered into the hole on Friday revealed no signs of life.

Rescuers are still trying to get inside the house to retrieve Jeff Bush’s body. However, it’s currently unknown how long this will take since the ground around the residence is considered unstable.

Hillsborough County is located in what many refer to as “Sinkhole Alley.” Over 500 sinkholes have been reported in this section of Florida since 1954.

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