Elisabeth Pollard, 64, apparently fell into a sinkhole near Monday’s Restaurant in Unity Township, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to local news outlets, Pollard was last seen Monday afternoon searching for her cat, Pepper. Her family contacted the police the following day since she had not returned home.
As reported by KDKA, police found Pollard’s car near the restaurant around 3 a.m. Her 5-year-old granddaughter was also discovered inside the vehicle. Officers later located the sinkhole, which was described as being roughly the size of a manhole cover and is about 30 feet deep.
“The sinkhole, it appears that it was most likely created during the time, unfortunately, that Mrs. Pollard was walking around,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Stephen Limani reported. He then 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.”
According to the Tribune-Review, rescue workers managed to access a mine on Tuesday that is believed to have caused the sinkhole. The newspaper reported that a camera lowered into the sinkhole captured footage of a shoe approximately 25 feet below the surface.
Fire Chief Marguerite Scot Graham stated that “rescue mode” efforts are still ongoing. Media reports also indicated that up to 100 individuals were involved in the operation, with fire officials remaining optimistic about locating Pollard due to the favorable conditions.
John Bacha, Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Chief, speaking to KDKA, stated, “All oxygen levels have been perfect. No carbon monoxide, no explosive gases, no anything. The atmosphere has been perfect at this point so we still have some hope that there’s a void and we’ll be able to get there.”
During a press conference, Limani announced that volunteers are rotating shifts, while a team of highly skilled rescuers is coordinating with crews to strategize the next steps in the rescue operations; Limani also confirmed that the rescue teams have entered the mine but have not yet located Mrs. Pollard.
Elizabeth Pollard’s son, Axel Hayes, addressed his mother’s disappearance on Tuesday evening, expressing a range of emotions but holding onto hope that first responders will find her alive.
“I just hope she’s alive and well, that she’s going to make it, that my niece still has a grandmother, that I still have a mother I can talk to”, he said.
