The huge sinkhole which swallowed a Florida man as he slept has been revealed in full now that his house has been demolished.
Jeffrey Bush could be heard screaming as the 30ft wide, 20ft deep sinkhole engulfed him at around 11pm on Thursday night.
The 36-year-old's cries of fear woke his brother Jeremy, who rushed to try and help, ABC Action News reported.
Demolition crews at the scene of the house in Brandon, Florida
Jeffrey Bush is missing, presumed dead after the sinkhole opened beneath his bedroom
Jeremy, who was trying to rescue his brother from the still-collapsing hole, was pulled to safety himself by Hillborough County Deputy Douglas Duval.
Listening devices and cameras were placed in the hole, but officials told Tampa Bay’s MyFox there were “no signs of life” at the scene.
Following the demolition of the house, the hole is now being filed with gravel and dirt – meaning Bush’s body is unlikely to ever be found.
Jeremy Bush weeps as he describes his attempts to rescue his brother to local media
Jeremy later told WFTS: “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.”
He told CNN: “I know in my heart he’s dead. But I just want to be here for him, because I love him. He was my brother, man.”
Unease in the area is continuing after another sinkhole opened between two homes two miles away from the Bush family home.
Luckily no one was hurt, WTVT-TV reported. But Florida state geologist Jonathan Arthur has warned more sinkholes are on the horizon.
The sinkhole is being filled with gravel and dirt after attempts to retrieve Bush's body failed
He told USA Today: "As our footprint on the land increases, the likelihood we'll encounter sinkholes will increase. The activity we engage in that affects the subsurface land and water can trigger sinkholes as well."
Florida is comprised of limestone, an already porous rock that dissolves easily in acidic rainwater, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Click here for a map of Florida that classifies the frequency and severity of sinkholes.
Chris Gilbert of the Environmental Protection Agency also said that drought as well as people pumping too much water from the Floridian aquifer can lead to sinkholes.
Huge sinkhole swallows Florida man
