Grandma falls into 30ft sinkhole whereas on the lookout for cat and is nowhere to be discovered

A massive rescue operation was launched after a grandmother plunged into a giant sinkhole above an abandoned mine while searching for her missing cat. Emergency services worked tirelessly through the night to locate 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard, who fell into the sinkhole in Unity Township, western Pennsylvania.

The incident sparked a huge rescue effort involving dozens of officers and firefighters. State police revealed at a Tuesday press conference that they had been unable to establish contact with the grandmother 24 hours after her fall.

Rescue teams have since entered the abandoned mine where she is believed to be trapped. Elizabeth was last seen around 5pm local time on Monday, calling out for her cat, Pepper.

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Her family raised the alarm at about 1am the following day when she failed to return home. Officers were spotted searching near Monday’s Restaurant in the township and found her car parked nearby around 3am.

Upon inspecting the vehicle, they discovered a sinkhole. State police suspect she may have fallen into it, reports the Mirror. The sinkhole, roughly the size of a manhole, is about 30 feet deep and leads to an old coal mine, according to KDKA News reports.

Trooper Stephen Limani from the Pennsylvania State Police said: “We also discovered there was a sinkhole; it was maybe 15-20 feet from the vehicle. It was about the size of a manhole cover but the pocket underneath is significantly larger, and trying to send cameras down there, we determined it’s roughly about 30 feet before you see a lot of debris.”

He also mentioned that those at the restaurant clocked the sinkhole popping up just when Elizabeth was on her feline hunt. He added: “The sinkhole, it appears that it was most likely created during the time, unfortunately, that Mrs. Pollard was walking around.”

Limani added: “We don’t see any evidence of any time where that hole would have been there prior to deciding to walk around and look for her cat.”

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) came through with an update on Tuesday, saying their Bureau of Mine Safety crew was on hand to lend their expertise. A DEP spokesperson reported: “Upon initial review, DEP believes this subsidence feature to be the result of historic mining in the abandoned Marguerite Mine last operated by the H.C. Frick Coke Co. in 1952. The depth of cover from the surface to the Pittsburgh coal seam is approximately 20 feet in this area.”

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