Rescuers are desperately searching for a grandmother who they believe fell into a deep abyss, holding out hope of finding her despite difficult rescue conditions.
Elizabeth Pollard, who was last seen Monday evening, has yet to be found amid a complicated search effort in Unity Township, Pennsylvania, police said Wednesday morning.
The sinkhole is believed to be connected to an abandoned coal mine and was created while Pollard was walking in the area, officials said. Search teams were able to enter the mine area, although the integrity of the mine was compromised by the water being used to break the ground, Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police said in a news conference on Wednesday.
A sinkhole is seen on December 3, 2024 in Unity Township, PA.
WTAE
The search will continue as long as necessary pending safety concerns, although the drilling process may be slower now, he said.
“We hope to be in a pocket of air,” Limani said in a speech Tuesday evening, noting that there have been incidents in the region where people have survived similar situations in underground mines. “This is a rescue for me until something says it isn’t.”
Rescue teams from the surrounding areas have joined forces, exchanging shifts to maintain the effort. Oxygen tanks are being sent regularly to supply the mine bridge, and crews have made progress into the underground area.
The conditions are tough, the clay soil makes digging difficult, but the rescuers are still determined.
“We are doing everything we can, and no one is giving up,” said Limani.
He added: “It’s heartbreaking for his family and everyone here. But we’re not stopping. We’re all hoping for a miracle.”
Emergency officials search for a missing woman in Unity Township, Pa., on Dec. 3, 2024.
WTAE
Pollard was reported missing by a family member shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, Limani said at a press conference earlier Tuesday.
Pollard was last seen around 5 p.m. Monday, Limani said. The family member said Pollard went out to look for her cat Monday afternoon, but they haven’t heard from her since, she said.
Pollard’s vehicle was located just before 3 a.m. Tuesday with her 5-year-old grandson inside, though Pollard was nowhere to be found, police said.
“At that point we realized it could be a very bad situation,” Limani said.
While searching the area for Pollard, troopers found an apparent sinkhole with an opening “the size of a pothole” about 15 to 20 feet from the vehicle, Limani said.
Emergency responders responded to what is now being considered a rescue mission, officials said. Local firefighters, a technical rescue team and the state Bureau of Mine Safety are among those working with an excavation team to get to the bottom to remove the dirt, Limani said.
Pennsylvania State Police shared this undated photo of Elizabeth Pollard.
Pennsylvania State Police
Current evidence points to Pollard at rock bottom, Limani said.
“We feel no reason to look elsewhere,” he said.
It appears to have been created during the time Pollard was in the area, Limani said, noting there is no evidence the hole was there before he started looking for his cat.
The area where the hole was created has a “very thin layer of soil” and seems to have been deteriorating “for a long time”, Limani said.
“It looks like most of the time it’s just grass tied up where he stepped on it,” he said. “There wasn’t much land at all to support that space.”
A camera inserted into the bottom opening “showed a big gap and a different depth,” Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham told reporters at an earlier press conference.
No sound was picked up by a camera, although authorities did see a “modern type” shoe on the bottom, according to Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha.
“The process is long and arduous,” Graham said of the search effort.
A sinkhole is seen on December 3, 2024 in Unity Township, PA.
WTAE
The mine last operated in 1952, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The depth of the coal seam in this area is approximately 20 meters, a department spokesman said.
Once the scene is clear, the department will investigate the site “to determine if this problem is the result of the sinking of the historic mine,” the spokesman said.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers found this sinkhole while searching for a missing woman.
Pennsylvania State Police
Pollard’s grandson is safe, despite the overnight cold temperatures, and is currently with his parents, Limani said.
The family is asking for privacy at this time and is hoping for “good news.”
“We have to be a little bit lucky,” said Limani. “We will do everything we can.”
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Jason Volack contributed to this report.
