UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — As the search continues for a woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole, rescuers are no longer being sent underground because of the integrity of the mine.
Elizabeth Pollard, 64, went missing around 5 p.m. Tuesday while looking for her cat in Unity Township. Her granddaughter was found by police in her vehicle around 10 hours later, unharmed.
PHOTOS: Rescuers continue searching for missing grandmother in abandoned mine
It is believed Pollard fell through a nearby sinkhole, which crews determined was a very thin layer of earth -- mainly just grass -- where she stepped.
Engineers with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mining have been in the area of Monday’s Union Restaurant on Marguerite Road. They determined Wednesday morning the integrity of the underground structure started to become compromised. The water being pushed through the mines was intended to help break down the materials, but it had caused a disruption and distress to the structure.
Pennsylvania Trooper Cliff Greenfield said overnight, crews were lowered into the ground with harnesses on and could see mine shafts under the ground. Sources tell Channel 11 that as of 6:40 a.m., crews had made at least 20 entries underground without finding anything significant.
In an update around noon on Wednesday, Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha said the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and it is unstable. They had a vacuum truck to remove a lot of dirt to excavate. They’ve gone to the spot they thought she was, but there are no signs.
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He said the shoe that was spotted on a camera yesterday was never recovered and nothing else has been found.
“Time is of the essence,” Greenfield said but added that they’re still optimistic.
Despite no longer sending rescuers into the mines because of dangers, officials said they’re going to keep working to search for Pollard. Technology, including cameras, is still being used.
When asked when this mission would be considered a recovery, Bach said, “We’re not using that word yet. We’re close.”
Sources tell @WPXI as of 6:40 am, crews had made at least 20 entries into the underground area of the search without finding anything of significance.
— Andrew Havranek 📺 (@Andrew_Havranek) December 4, 2024
Another source tells me part of the garage here at Monday’s Union restaurant will be torn down because of mine subsidence pic.twitter.com/0KLrOikIUe
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