The sinkhole started as a small depression under a boat in the front yard at around 7:30 a.m., reports the Tampa Bay Times. However, within minutes the entire home, which was located at 21835 Ocean Pines Drive in Lake Padgett Estates, was completely destroyed.
No one was home at the time and Pasco County Fire Rescue authorities did enter the home to retrieve two dogs and some belongings.
The other home, at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, was only partially swallowed. That family was able to grab a few important documents and their six dogs before authorities deemed it unsafe to reenter.
County officials have begun tagging doors at nearby streets, in case homeowners need to quickly escape. So far, ten other homes in the neighborhood have been tagged, with more likely to come.
It’s unknown at this time what caused the sinkhole to form.
This is a developing story. We’ll update this post when more information is available.
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This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2017.
