Woman in Pennsylvania who fell into sinkhole while looking for her cat ‘is likely dead’

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania – Ms Elizabeth Pollard, the 64-year-old woman who was likely to have fallen into a sinkhole when she went looking for her missing cat on Dec 2 in Unity Township, Pennsylvania, is not expected to be found alive, the authorities said late on Dec 4.

There have been no signs of life over the past two days, Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police said at a news conference.

“Unless it’s a miracle, most likely this is recovery,” Mr Limani said.

Earlier in the day, the local authorities said they still had hope to rescue Ms Pollard. However, the search became increasingly dangerous, as the sinkhole, which formed over an old mine, became unstable and oxygen-deficient, Chief John Bacha of the Pleasant Unity Volunteer Fire Department said at a news conference on Dec 4.

Mr Limani compared the mine with a “house of cards”, saying the plan was to open up a hole four times the size of the current opening to stabilise the mine and access it safely.

The authorities went looking for Ms Pollard early on Dec 3 after her relatives called the police to report her as missing. They found Ms Pollard’s car, her five-year-old granddaughter inside it and a newly formed 9m-deep sinkhole nearby – which, they believe, Ms Pollard had fallen into.

The authorities immediately began an “all hands on deck” rescue operation, Mr Limani said at a noon news conference on Dec 3.

Excavators and rescue teams were working to remove dirt and access the sinkhole, which is about the size of a manhole, to try to find Ms Pollard, who the authorities said could be in another cavity underground.

Workers at the scene were “head to toe covered in mud” and “definitely in harm’s way”, as they worked around the clock to find Ms Pollard over the past two days, Trooper Limani said.

“It appears that (the sinkhole) was most likely created during the time while, unfortunately, Ms Pollard was walking around,” Trooper Limani said. “We’re hoping everyone keeps their family in their prayers, that this ends up being a rescue mission, and that’s how we’re going to continue to conduct ourselves.”

From rescue to recovery

Trooper Limani said police received a call at around 1am from a family member of Ms Pollard, reporting her as missing hours after she had gone to look for her cat, which The Associated Press said is named Pepper.

The authorities searched for Ms Pollard in other places, including the woods, using drones, but Trooper Limani said he believed that she could only be in the sinkhole, which they found near her vehicle at around 3am.

When Chief Bacha arrived on the scene, he said it was not immediately obvious that someone had fallen into the hole. But when rescuers placed a camera in the hole, they saw a “modern” shoe that most likely was not a remnant of coal mining operations, he said.

The sinkhole was found in Marguerite, an unincorporated old coal mining community in Unity Township, Pennsylvania, about 64km south-east of Pittsburgh. It can be common for sinkholes to open up because of the old mines, Chief Bacha said.

Trooper Limani said the mine stretches for kilometres under the community and had been abandoned for about 75 years.

The sinkhole opened up near Monday’s Union Restaurant, where Ms Pollard’s car was parked, Trooper Limani said. One of the buildings that belong to the restaurant will most likely come down as crews keep searching.

Operations had been called off for the evening but was set to continue on Dec 5, officials said. The recovery crew was preparing for high winds and snow in the area.

Mine reclamation experts have been called in to help with safety measures, Trooper Limani said.

Ms Pollard’s granddaughter, who spent several hours in the car in freezing temperatures, was found safe and was reunited with her parents, the authorities said. It is unclear what happened to Ms Pollard’s cat. NYTIMES