100ft sinkhole reopens after swallowing screaming man whose body was never found

11 July 2023 , 14:59

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The sinkhole had reopened and fire crews, along with deputies were called out to the site. (Image: Hillsborough County Sheriff)

A 100ft sinkhole that swallowed a man screaming for help, leading to his disappearance, has reopened.

Jeffrey Bush was heard screaming for help from his brother Jeremy, who was at home in Florida in 2013 when he was sucked into the gaping hole.

Jeremy said it took him only seconds to race to his brother's room and jump into the hole, but the dirt was quickly rising to neck level and Jeffrey was nowhere to be seen.

It's now been 10 years since the incident and no sign of Jeffrey has ever been seen - so he is presumed dead. The sink hole at the same site has now reopened.

Jeffrey Bush, 37, was asleep when a sinkhole opened up beneath his home in Seffner, Florida (abc Action News)

Today, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says it is safe for residents of a Seffner neighborhood to remain in their homes despite the sinkhole having reopened at the same site that swallowed Jeffrey.

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It’s located on a county conservation property at 240 Faithway Drive in Seffner.

County officials say they received a call around 4:30 p.m. on Monday that the sinkhole had reopened and fire crews, along with deputies were called out to the site.

It is estimated to be about 12 feet by 12 feet and engineers are expected to be on site on Tuesday to assess the best course of action.

The site is closed to the public and secured with two layers of fencing. (abc Action News)

John-Paul Lavandeira from Hillsborough County Enforcement said there are several ways to fill a sinkhole and one of the ways is with gravel and liquid, which is flexible and if there is a reoccurrence it will reoccur at that point.

Code Enforcement enforces land and property codes in an effort to eliminate conditions that threaten the life, health, safety, and general welfare of residents.

Sinkholes are particularly common in Florida due to the limestone underneath the soil which can gradually dissolve in rain water.

John-Paul added, "This is something that is out of all of our control. This is a Mother Nature thing. This isn’t a man-made scenario, but we do have a plan in place. We have the right experts in place. This is under control. There is a reason why there are double fences where this thing is."

The hole that tragically killed Jeffrey Bush in 2013 is back. (Hillsborough County Sheriff)

The site is closed to the public and secured with two layers of fencing.

Speaking at the time his brother's disappearance due to the sinkhole back in 2013, Jeffrey said: "The floor was still giving in and the dirt was still going down, but I didn't care.

"He was screaming my name. I could swear I heard him hollering my name to help him. I wanted to save my brother. But I just couldn't do nothing."

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Jeremy had to be helped out of the sinkhole himself by a policeman in Tampa, Florida after the shocking incident at about 11pm

Officials lowered equipment into the sinkhole but didn't see any sign of Jeffrey.

At the surface, experts say it was about 30 feet across but below the surface it was 100 feet across.

Lucy Williamson