A heart-wrenching search continues in Marguerite, Pennsylvania, for Elizabeth Pollard, a 64-year-old grandmother who disappeared Monday night after reportedly falling into a sinkhole. The sinkhole, believed to have formed over an abandoned coal mine, has put rescuers in a race against time amid freezing temperatures and unstable ground conditions.
Pollard had ventured out to search for her missing cat, Pepper, but never returned. Her five-year-old granddaughter, who had been waiting in Pollard’s car, was found safe early Tuesday morning. The child had fallen asleep in the vehicle and awoke to find her grandmother gone.
Emergency crews worked through the night, using pole cameras, listening devices, and excavation equipment to locate Pollard. Early efforts revealed what might be a shoe about nine meters below the surface. However, authorities face significant challenges due to the deteriorating stability of the mine beneath the sinkhole.
“We are confident we’re in the right area,” said Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Bacha, emphasizing that searchers are holding out hope Pollard could still be in a survivable void.
The sinkhole, roughly the size of a manhole, appears to have opened suddenly in the hours before Pollard’s disappearance. Workers and hunters in the vicinity earlier that day reported no visible signs of the collapse. Experts believe the void is linked to the Marguerite Mine, which ceased operations in 1952, leaving underground spaces that may have gradually destabilized.
Sinkholes are not uncommon in the region, where decades of coal mining have left a legacy of subsidence issues. Officials from Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are monitoring the site and plan to investigate further once the rescue effort concludes.
This incident underscores the dangers posed by abandoned mines across the U.S., where land above long-closed operations can suddenly collapse. Similar cases, such as a sinkhole that swallowed part of a soccer field in Illinois earlier this year, highlight the ongoing risks tied to aging mining infrastructure.
Authorities have vowed to continue the search for Pollard, digging additional access points to the mine in hopes of a breakthrough. For now, the community waits anxiously for any sign of her amid snow flurries and freezing weather, united in their hopes for a safe recovery.
Source: Swifteradio.com
