# Area man swallowed by sinkhole **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724 "2013-03-01T13:49:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/62 "2015-08-19T19:34:58Z")
You know, I still think about this story every time it rains in the middle of the night. I lay awake listening in case the house creaks like it might be caving in…:eek: ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/63 "2015-08-19T20:29:41Z")
I read this before. When it says it opened up again, does that mean they backfilled it with gravel or something? I thought it would still be a big hole in the ground. StG ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/64 "2015-08-20T00:28:23Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > Wouldn’t there be warning signs ahead of time in the house? Floor or wall cracks? Noise? The [Sarlacc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarlacc) is a quiet predator. Tripler They are not of this world. . . _until now._ ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/65 "2015-08-20T12:52:26Z")
A. I don’t know, not having personally had my house swallowed in a sinkhole, but I think it’s fairly fast. There may have been some floor and wall cracks, but remember the guy who was killed was asleep at the time, IIRC. B. Yes, they probably backfilled it with gravel and/or sand and/or something else. Doesn’t matter. See **JRDelirious** ’s post above. That was an excellent explanation. Just because they backfilled… doesn’t mean anything. There’s still a big-ass cavern way underground somewhere. And this being monsoon season, we’ve had a lot of rain lately, which means limestone is porous and dissolves, boom, new sinkhole. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/66 "2015-08-20T17:46:27Z")
Sinkholes are not limited to Florida. This one happened 10 years ago about 20 miles from where I then lived: [Woe! Lake begone!](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5191079/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/woe-lake-begone/#.VdYRC5VRE94) Then it did it again: [Leaky lake in Wildwood is empty, again](http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/leaky-lake-in-wildwood-is-empty-again/article_ad47479c-a36c-5a19-bb21-763ff6015372.html) There’s an old saying: “Once is bad luck; twice is a coincidence; three times is enemy action” When it happens again we’ll have proof of evil elves or else _Tremors_-style worms. I wonder which is worse? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/67 "2015-08-21T00:34:52Z")
Yes, apparently the local authorities filled it in with gravel, and then fenced the area off, according to news reports. This articles suggests it’s rare for one to re-open in exactly the same spot: > **[Massive Sinkhole That Swallowed Florida Man Reopens, Two Years Later](https://abcnews.go.com/US/massive-sinkhole-swallowed-florida-man-reopens-years/story?id=33181156)** > > A 17-foot-wide sinkhole that killed a Florida resident in 2013 has re-opened in the same location it did two years ago, authorities said. Makes me wonder if that means the underlying cavern is particularly large? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/68 "2015-08-21T02:43:12Z")
I admit, the government doesn’t have that much money. But I would think they might be able to posture specialist spelunker teams to investigate these “instant” sinkholes. . . to I dunno, maybe plot out more caverns or something. But there I go thinking forward again. . . . Tripler Spelunker, Forward Thinker ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/69 "2015-08-21T03:26:54Z")
Bangkok is sinking, and we live in a 36-story building. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if a sinkhole opened underneath us. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/70 "2015-08-21T06:38:49Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Bangkok is sinking, and we live in a 36-story building. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if a sinkhole opened underneath us. Hope you live on one of the upper floor. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/71 "2015-08-21T12:11:38Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > I admit, the government doesn’t have that much money. But I would think they might be able to posture specialist spelunker teams to investigate these “instant” sinkholes. . . to I dunno, maybe plot out more caverns or something. > > But there I go thinking forward again. . . . > > Tripler > Spelunker, Forward Thinker Well, it’s sorta been done. [This group](http://www.wkpp.org/) has been mapping for a while now. It’s extremely dangerous. You’re gonna want scuba gear. The sinkholes generally feed the underground aquifer from which the majority of Florida gets its water. Generally speaking, Florida sits atop ground that is basically sand and swiss cheese. While I’m quite sure the government of Florida wants nothing to do with mapping out new sinkholes/caves (seriously, have you heard about our governor?), you can explore many of them yourself. I would add that several people have died doing this exact thing. Have at it. [http://www.floridacaves.com/](http://www.floridacaves.com/) Also note: I saw a documentary once where some private group (?) was trying to track a spring back underground through the cave/sinkhole system. There was a lot of pollution and garbage everywhere. It was sad. But it was surprising, the distance they went. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/72 "2015-08-21T13:26:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Sinkholes are not limited to Florida. This one happened 10 years ago about 20 miles from where I then lived: [Woe! Lake begone!](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5191079/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/woe-lake-begone/#.VdYRC5VRE94) > > Then it did it again: [Leaky lake in Wildwood is empty, again](http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/leaky-lake-in-wildwood-is-empty-again/article_ad47479c-a36c-5a19-bb21-763ff6015372.html) > > There’s an old saying: “Once is bad luck; twice is a coincidence; three times is enemy action” When it happens again we’ll have proof of evil elves or else _Tremors_-style worms. I wonder which is worse? It happens over here on the east side of St. Louis over in Illinois. A few years ago, a golfer was playing at the Triple Lakes Golf Course near Millstadt, Illinois when he fell into a sinkhole. Insert your “hole in one” joke here. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/73 "2015-08-21T14:31:16Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > Have at it. [http://www.floridacaves.com/](http://www.floridacaves.com/) > > Also note: I saw a documentary once where some private group (?) was trying to track a spring back underground through the cave/sinkhole system. There was a lot of pollution and garbage everywhere. It was sad. But it was surprising, the distance they went. Is this the thing were the divers ended up in a guy’s stock pond? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/74 "2015-08-21T17:49:51Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > A. I don’t know, not having personally had my house swallowed in a sinkhole, but I think it’s fairly fast. There may have been some floor and wall cracks, but remember the guy who was killed was asleep at the time, IIRC. > > B. Yes, they probably backfilled it with gravel and/or sand and/or something else. Doesn’t matter. See **JRDelirious** ’s post above. That was an excellent explanation. Just because they backfilled… doesn’t mean anything. There’s still a big-ass cavern way underground somewhere. And this being monsoon season, we’ve had a lot of rain lately, which means limestone is porous and dissolves, boom, new sinkhole. Droughts are more likely to produce sinkholes because the water table drops creating empty spaces in the ground which then cave in. And I remember watching the show where a diver went from spring to spring underground. His buddy was above ground tracking him with a radio receiver. At one point, the topside guy walked right into a Sonny’s BBQ, past the diners, and out the other door as he followed his buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/75 "2015-08-22T00:27:40Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Bangkok is sinking, and we live in a 36-story building. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if a sinkhole opened underneath us. > [@Senegoid](#): > > Hope you live on one of the upper floor. Sixth floor. ☹ > [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Droughts are more likely to produce sinkholes because the water table drops creating empty spaces in the ground which then cave in. And we’re enduring a major drought right now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/76 "2015-08-22T02:23:23Z")
Are you ever coming back to the US of A, Sam? We, too, have elephants. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/77 "2015-08-22T02:27:51Z")
Quick, buy a parachute. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/78 "2015-08-22T02:38:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Are you ever coming back to the US of A, Sam? > We, too, have elephants. I could dig through the sinkhole and pop out the other side. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/79 "2015-08-22T12:22:16Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I could dig through the sinkhole and pop out the other side. I’ll buy extra beer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/80 "2015-08-22T14:18:20Z")
I wonder what it sounds like just before a house drops down a sink-hole… “Feed me, Seymour…! Feed Me…!” ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724/81 "2015-08-24T02:28:11Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > He may need longer than that. Officials have called off the search for him and plan to move forward with demolishing the house, using equipment that can reach the site from a distance. So, he won’t have to pay rent? Some people get all the breaks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-man-swallowed-by-sinkhole/651724.md?page=3)