SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION

Missing Grandmother Looking for Her Cat Believed to Have Fallen in Sinkhole

Elizabeth Pollard was reported missing by a family member on Tuesday.

A Pennsylvania grandmother who was last seen looking for her cat has gone missing and is believed to have fallen into a sinkhole, local authorities said. Elizabeth Pollard was reported missing by a family member a little before 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Trooper Steve Limani said at a press conference, per ABC News. She was last seen at around 5 p.m. on Monday when she had gone out to look for her cat. Pollard’s vehicle was located at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday with her 5-year-old granddaughter inside, alone. “At that point in time we realized this could be a very bad situation,” Limani said. Upon searching for Pollard in the nearby area, troopers found a sinkhole the “size of a manhole” 15 to 20 feet away from her vehicle. Limani explained all evidence so far points to Pollard being stuck in the sinkhole, with a search-and-rescue mission currently underway in Unity Township. Emergency responders, local firefighters, a technical rescue team, and the state’s Bureau of Mine Safety have been called to the scene to excavate the sinkhole, which is believed to be linked to an abandoned coal mine. “We’re doing everything we can, and no one is giving up,” Limani added. “It’s heartbreaking for her family and everyone here. But we’re not stopping. We’re all hoping for a miracle.”