NATURAL DISASTERS

Sinkhole Swallows Up Florida Man Who Was Lying in His Bed

'All they could see was part of a mattress sticking out of the hole'

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Mar 1, 2013 by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

A sinkhole swallowed up a Florida man who was sleeping in his bed late Thursday night.

Authorities have not yet been able to locate Jeff Bush since the sinkhole, which is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet deep, opened suddenly below the family's home in a Tampa suburb. His bedroom was swallowed up, but the exterior of the house appears intact.

"They [the family] heard a sound they described as a car crash emanating from the bedroom," Hillsborough County Fire Chief Ron Rogers said. "They rushed in. All they could see was part of a mattress sticking out of the hole. The floor of the room had opened."

Rescue workers were able to pull out the man's brother, Jeremy, who had jumped in the hole to try and save him.

Sinkholes have been known to happen in Florida because the land contains limestone, which can be eroded by water. Sometimes, a sinkhole will form a depression in the ground offering some warning before opening. But in other cases like this one, they open suddenly, authorities told NBC.

Via NBC

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?	Speaking of sinkholes, which natural disaster do you fear the most?

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All : 74

Comments (view in Forum)

Mar '13

jessejaymes

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That's a nice list but the Tea Party should have been on it.
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Mar '13

jaybebo84

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Is there not a vote down option??? The true Tea Party is good...the infiltrators are bad...
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Mar '13

No_Bama

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Well then don't forget to add Obama to the list too, he's the worst disaster the world has ever seen.
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Mar '13

PoliticalSpice

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It was a case of mistaken identity. The guy who got swallowed up was named Bush. Angle of death messed up, cann't get good health nowadays.
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Mar '13

AceLuby

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@No_Bama Seriously? Dinosaur extinction. Fall of Rome. Genghis Khan. Hitler. Mussolini.

Nope, the guy who inherited the worst economic disaster (not the guy who started it, the guy who inherited it) and passed health care reform. OH THE TRAVESTY!!! smh...
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Mar '13

Jet_Silverman

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Wow, what an off topic mention of Obama. Guess some people just can't deal with the fact the president isn't white.
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Mar '13

BossTweed

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It is a regional question which requires regional responses. I voted Earthquake cause I was in the '94 which scared the beejesus out of millions in some areas of So Cal. If I were in Kansas or OK I would certain vote Tornado.
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Mar '13

jessejaymes

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There is an old saying. Nothing hurts as bad as the one coming up.
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Mar '13

AntiPorcheria

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We live in tornado alley. They sometimes come without warning. Nothing is more frightening than the sounds of your children's screams as gale force winds whip debris through the walls of your home.
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Mar '13

Denizen_Kate

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I live in California. Earthquakes never give warnings.
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Mar '13

jaybebo84

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Tornadoes...most definitely...live in DFW...and been too close to the real deal...like the finger of God moving along the Earth...love the movie Twister...
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Mar '13

NTBFW

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I watched that one on tv last year that went down 635! Wow that was a beauty.
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Mar '13

martydotcom

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Live right on the ocean. 4 hurricanes in last 11 yrs. Total of more than 30 days w/o power for AC. Been fortunate only suffered terminal deodorant failure in 90+ heat with no AC
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Mar '13

Knightkore

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The earth opening its mouth is reminiscent of the incident in Numbers 16:31-33:

"As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly."
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Mar '13

Denizen_Kate

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That's dark, man ... really dark. Are you a pessimist? ;)
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Mar '13

Knightkore

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Hmmm.....sequester?
Gubermint.....yeah.....
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Mar '13

sittinduck

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Why isn't the anti-Christ Obama on the list?
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Mar '13

Denizen_Kate

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Anti-Christ? Seriously? Why do right wingers insist on giving a mere man such godlike qualities? He's just a man. smh.
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Mar '13

sittinduck

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@Denizen_Kate Seriously, LMFAO!!!
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Mar '13
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Mar '13
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Mar '13
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Mar '13

RollinPapers

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I thought Obama, Dianne Feinstein, and Al Sharpton would be on the list. 3 of the biggest disasters of all time. Seriously they need to name a hurricane after Obama. What would it be called? Hmmm..........so many optons.
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Mar '13

RollinPapers

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Hurricane Hussein?
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Mar '13

RollinPapers

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@RollinPapers Hurricane Horrible?
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Mar '13

AceLuby

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@RollinPapers All time? Really? smh at Hurricane Stupidity...
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Mar '13

RollinPapers

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@AceLuby I told you to stop looking in the mirror.
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Mar '13

jaybebo84

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I really wish I could see the comments which are removed by the moderators before they remove them...LOL
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Mar '13

jaybebo84

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Maybe you guys could put a notice like "removed by moderators; click here to view post"...seems doable...Yahoo has something to that nature...
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Mar '13

FenceSitter K

Politix Diplomat

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Thanks for the suggestion :)

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Mar '13

Denizen_Kate

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@jaybebo84 - I agree. I'm in the Pacific time zone and I want at least a three hour delay on deletions. I always feel like I'm missing the fun. :)
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Mar '13

Ryuo

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I was about to make a "blame Bush" joke, but then I saw the man's name and realized it would be in poor taste.
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Mar '13

Dan_Tien

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The worst natural disaster that I have personally witnessed was the first explosion of Mount St. Helens, but volcanos are not one of the choices. Yellowstone National Park is a super volcano that is swelling, by the way, but most of the fallout from that is likely to head east if it blows. It would put a quick end to global warming.

Earthquakes are pretty high on the list of natural disasters to expect in the Pacific Northwest, too.
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Mar '13

AceLuby

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Geologically speaking, Yellowstone is due to blow any time. It would definitely put this partisan crap into perspective.
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Mar '13

stepped_in_it

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Best (not on the list) natural disaster mentioned. All the rest are (at best) local changes. Good post!
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Mar '13

NTBFW

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I didn't see ice storm on that list but that's the biggest pain in the butt. On there. We have tornados but its pretty unlikely you will get hurt. Nature is always so interesting.
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Mar '13

AceLuby

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This is the precise reason why fracking is such a bad idea. Sinkholes are cause by unstable layers of limestone, fracking drills into limestone and breaks it, causing instability in the limestone and the water table above it. Is 'cheap energy' worth these environmental effects? Absolutely not.
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Mar '13

Knightkore

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Really? They were fracking underneath this guys bedroom?
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Mar '13

AceLuby

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@Knightmare No, I never said they did. If you read the article... "Sinkholes have been known to happen in Florida because the land contains limestone, which can be eroded by water"

Fracking targets limestone and deliberately breaks it.
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Mar '13

Knightkore

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As far as I can see there isn't any fracking anywhere near his bedroom.....or region.....
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Mar '13

Knightkore

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@AceLuby Oh.....okay.....gotcha.....sor ry about the conclusion jumping.....
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Mar '13

Keyjo

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It's Bush's fault!
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Mar '13

miketost

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Its a sad event just think if it had been your family member .Why does everything bad have to have a political twist?Compassion seems to be a thing of the past in America.How sad that is.
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Mar '13

Sam_Lowry

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None of the above. Direct impact from an Asteroid/Meteor/Comet
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Mar '13

SavageMazx

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Living in the Sierra Foothills fire is my big worry.
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Mar '13

Smallz87

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The new madrid fault is very close to me and also in tornado ally! 30 blocks down is East St. Louis but that is not exactly a natural disaster but close!
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Speaking of sinkholes, which natural disaster do you fear the most?

Speaking of sinkholes, which natural disaster do you fear the most?