Rescue Teams Give Up Search For Florida Man Whose Home Fell Into Sinkhole

Jeffrey Bush was believed to have been sleeping when his home fell into a 30 feet wide sinkhole on Thursday night. He was heard screaming by neighbors, but rescue teams have been unable to find him and he is presumed dead.

"At this point it's really not possible to recover the body," Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said, according to the BBC. Merrill added "We are dealing with a very unusual sinkhole."

Part of the problem is the shape of the sinkhole, which is 30-feet-wide at the surface but may be as much as 100-feet-wide underneath. Bush's house will be demolished, and nearby homes have been evacuated.

Sinkholes are common in Florida because the state lies on bedrock made of limestone or other carbonate rock that can be eaten away by acidic groundwater, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that as demolition on the home began today, a small, informal memorial was held for Bush. Bush's brother Jeremy Bush, who had tried to save his brother from the house, arrived early in the morning with a can of grape soda and a cigarette, then laid flowers outside the home.