Rescuers search for grandmother who may have fallen in sinkhole while searching for cat
Sinkholes are not uncommon in the area due to subsidence, or gradual caving in of the ground, caused by coal mining activity nearby.
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UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. – A 64-year-old Pennsylvania woman is missing and may have fallen into a sinkhole Monday night while looking for her cat, according to state authorities.
The incident occurred in Unity Township in southwestern Pennsylvania outside a local eatery known as Monday’s Union Restaurant.
Elizabeth Pollard was last seen near the restaurant at around 5 p.m. Monday calling for her cat, Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) said. By 1 a.m., Pollard had not returned home, prompting a relative to notify the police.
At around 3 a.m., PSP located Pollard’s car behind the restaurant, according to PSP. They noted that Pollard’s 5-year-old granddaughter was inside the vehicle, presumably for the eight hours between when Pollard was last seen and when police arrived.
Specialized equipment moving dirt around the sinkhole behind the restaurant.
( KDKA / NNS / FOX Weather)
"We, at that point in time, realized this could be a very bad situation," Pennsylvania State Trooper Steve Limani said.
Upon further inspection of the area, police located a sinkhole about the size of a manhole and 15-20 feet away from the vehicle, he said.
Limani noted that this prompted rescue teams to be joined by additional organizations, such as the Department of Mining and an excavation team, which began removing dirt so the rescue teams could access the sinkhole.
Trooper Steve Limani during a press conference about the search and rescue efforts for Elizabeth Pollard.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
Sinkholes are not uncommon in the area due to subsidence, or gradual caving in of the ground, caused by coal mining activity in the area, according to Pleasant Unity Fire Chief and Operations Officer for this incident John Bacha.
Limani noted in a press conference that their current concern is the structural integrity of the nearby mine is beginning to falter from their efforts to clear the sinkhole of debris.
"That distress is becoming dangerous for potential other mine subsidence to take place and putting some of the people at risk," he said.
This is leading rescuers to adjust their approach to finding Pollard.