Sinkhole Opens Up Under Florida Home, 1 Person Dead

A huge sinkhole opened up under a Brandon, Florida home late Thursday night, swallowing up a man and his entire bedroom. Jeff Bush, 37, screamed for help as the floor crumbled, but he was already buried by the time his brother Jeremy Bush jumped into the hole to help.

"I heard a loud crash, like a car coming through the house. I heard my brother screaming and I ran back there and tried going inside his room, but my old lady turned the light on and all I seen was this big hole, a real big hole, and all I saw was his mattress,” Jeremy told reporters.

"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 added. "But I just couldn't do nothing."

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Douglas Duvall pulled Jeremy to safety. "I reached down and was able to actually able to get him by his hand and pull him out of the hole. The hole was collapsing. At that time, we left the house," said Duvall.

Rescue teams used monitoring equipment to check the sinkhole for signs of life, but none were found. Jeff is believed to be dead. In addition to Jeremy, four others escaped the house unharmed. The survivors include Jeremy’s wife and 2-year-old daughter.

Nearby houses were immediately evacuated. The sinkhole is believed to be about 30 feet across and possibly 30 feet deep.

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