A Florida man is feared dead after being swallowed by a sinkhole that opened in a bedroom on Thursday night.
Jeff Bush, 37, screamed for help as the floor gave way, but his brother, Jeremy Bush, was unable to reach him.
The brothers had been in the home with six other people, including Jeremy Bush’s wife and 2-year-old daughter.
Jeremy was about to enter the room around 11 p.m. on Thursday when the floor opened, taking Jeff, along with all the furniture.
"I went in my bedroom, heard a loud crash, ran in that direction," Jeremy said. "I was getting ready to run into the room and I almost fell into the hole. I jumped into the hole and started digging for me. I started screaming for him."
However, Jeremy could not see his brother and was eventually pulled out of the 30-foot (10-metre) hole by a sheriff's deputy.
Rescuers could see no sign of life in the hole.
Only part of a box spring and television cables could be seen.
Officials estimate the hole was 100 feet (30 metres) wide below the surface.
Sinkhole experts and engineers continued the rescue effort, determining whether the ground around the hole could hold the weight of the required equipment
"We put engineering equipment into the sinkhole and didn't see anything compatible with life," Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesperson Jessica Damico said. "The entire house is on the sinkhole."
With files from The Associated Press
