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| Sinkhole swallows up Florida man Jeffrey Bush | Sinkhole swallows up Florida man Jeffrey Bush |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Florida man has disappeared into a 20ft-deep (6m) sinkhole that swallowed up a bedroom in his house. | A Florida man has disappeared into a 20ft-deep (6m) sinkhole that swallowed up a bedroom in his house. |
| Jeffrey Bush, 36, is presumed dead after rescue crews failed to make contact with him. | |
| Officials in the town near Tampa have postponed further rescue efforts until they determine how much of the ground under the house is compromised. | Officials in the town near Tampa have postponed further rescue efforts until they determine how much of the ground under the house is compromised. |
| Sinkholes are common in certain parts of Florida, Hillsborough County's fire chief said. | Sinkholes are common in certain parts of Florida, Hillsborough County's fire chief said. |
| "Florida essentially sits on a system of caverns," Chief Ron Rogers said, saying water erosion in the caverns causes them to collapse and sinkholes to form on the surface. | "Florida essentially sits on a system of caverns," Chief Ron Rogers said, saying water erosion in the caverns causes them to collapse and sinkholes to form on the surface. |
| The sinkhole is currently 30ft wide and 20ft deep, but officials have established a 100ft-wide safety zone, fearing the top of the sinkhole is growing. | The sinkhole is currently 30ft wide and 20ft deep, but officials have established a 100ft-wide safety zone, fearing the top of the sinkhole is growing. |
| "We don't know how stable the house is," Chief Rogers said, adding that additional parts of the home began to collapse into the ground while rescuers were inside. | "We don't know how stable the house is," Chief Rogers said, adding that additional parts of the home began to collapse into the ground while rescuers were inside. |
| Jeffrey Bush's brother Jeremy told rescue crews he heard a loud crash near midnight on Thursday, then his brother screaming for help. | Jeffrey Bush's brother Jeremy told rescue crews he heard a loud crash near midnight on Thursday, then his brother screaming for help. |
| He said he jumped into the hole but couldn't see his brother. | |
| "The floor was still giving in and the dirt was still going down, but I didn't care. I wanted to save my brother,'' he said, choking back tears outside a neighbour's house. | |
| "I could swear I heard him hollering my name to help him.'' | |
| One of the first responders to the house had to pull Jeremy Bush back from digging through the widening hole. | One of the first responders to the house had to pull Jeremy Bush back from digging through the widening hole. |
| "All they could see was a part of a mattress sticking out of the hole," Chief Rogers said. "Essentially the floor of that room had opened up." | "All they could see was a part of a mattress sticking out of the hole," Chief Rogers said. "Essentially the floor of that room had opened up." |
| There has been no contact with Jeffrey Bush since then, although officials said they had inserted cameras and listening kit into the hole. | |
| Neighbours on both sides of the home have been evacuated. | Neighbours on both sides of the home have been evacuated. |