UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Rescue efforts continue for a 64-year-old woman who may have fallen into a sinkhole while looking for her missing cat in Unity Township, Westmoreland County.
Emergency crews are gathered along Marguerite Road near Monday’s Union Restaurant.
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Pennsylvania State Police said they received a call around 1 a.m. regarding a family concerned about their grandmother Elizabeth Pollard’s whereabouts.
At around 2:50 a.m., troopers found her vehicle parked behind Monday’s Union Restaurant, where they found Pollard’s 5-year-old granddaughter inside. She was unharmed.
State police said they spoke to the little girl, who told them she was just waiting in the car for her grandma.
>> Family of woman who may have fallen into sinkhole while looking for cat speaks out
Near Pollard’s vehicle, troopers noticed a sinkhole. State police said they are performing search and rescue efforts with the assumption she fell down the hole.
State police said Pollard could have gone missing as early as 5 p.m. when people at Monday’s restaurant last saw her looking for her cat, Pepper.
At this point, there has been no communication with Pollard.
Limani said at one point, they had about 100 people working to find her.
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“We are still in rescue mode,” said Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham. He says they are working with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines.
Ligonier Construction is working to help excavate and dig.
“The village of Marguerite, Pleasant Unity, a lot of little villages around here are old coal patch towns. Very common to find a lot of mines in these areas, obviously a concern to have these mine subsidence issues,” Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha
Limani said the sinkhole was most likely created when Pollard was walking around and was not there before her looking for her cat.
The hole isn’t very wide, but it is deep. Because of the mining that had been done, Limani says it is difficult for the operation.
“Once you get below the surface, the hole gets significantly wider,” Limani said.
Bacha said oxygen levels in the hole are good and it’s warmer down there.
“We’ve used a lot of resources and a lot of technology,” Bacha said. He said they’ve used both cameras and listening devices. No sounds picked up, but one camera showed what appeared to be a shoe.
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Mike O’Barto, the chair of the Unity Township Board of Supervisors, said they put a resolution together declaring a disaster emergency. It gives the township and EMS the chance to get any equipment they need without dealing with a bidding process.
Limani said crews will work through the night if needed.
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