Man Rescued From 6-Foot Backyard Sinkhole as Truck Teeters Nearby by Phoenix Firefighters
Dramatic aerial footage shows the moment that Phoenix Fire Department crew members rescued a man who had fallen into a sinkhole in his backyard. The footage was shared on the fire department’s Facebook page, where it was later covered by local outlets like KTAR News.
The man had fallen around six feet, suffering a significant injury to his chest when he fell. According to the post, that injury prevented him from getting out on his own, prompting the emergency response team to show up.
As if that wasn’t scary enough for the man, his pickup truck also partially fell into the hole. Fortunately, the rescue crew was able to stabilize the truck so it didn’t sink any further into the sinkhole.
This all took place in the man’s backyard near 24th Street and Thomas Road on Sunday, Nov. 1. KTAR News reports that the area had received a lot of storm and flooding activity over the weekend, which closed other roadways and prompted evacuations, although it’s unclear if the two are related at this time.
The Man Was Taken to the Hospital
Footage shows the moments when a rescuer climbed down a ladder and into the hole before bringing the unidentified man back up. He was then placed on a stretcher, stabilized, and moved into a waiting ambulance.
The caption said the homeowner was in stable condition at a local hospital, although the extent of his injuries wasn’t shared as of the time of publication. Additionally, the Phoenix Fire Department shared that none of the rescuers were injured while helping the homeowner.
Commenters Shared Their Theories About the Sinkhole
The fire department didn’t have any additional information about the cause of the sinkhole in its post, but that didn’t stop people from making assumptions about what could’ve caused the hole to form. “Good job! This ‘sinkhole’ was likely an old ‘cesspool’ that was never backfilled,” one person wrote.
Another made a joke about the situation, sharing a pun. “If it was a septic tank, it wasn’t a ‘sinkhole,’ it was a ‘stink hole,'” they added.
According to Arizona State University, groundwater pumping, called subsidence, is behind some of the state’s issues when it comes to cracking and sinking spots. And it’s not a new problem either. The university notes that a 2007 thunderstorm that dumped two inches of rain in an hour caused a fissure to open in Chandler Heights, reaching as much as 40 feet deep in some areas and 15 feet across in others. While that’s an extreme issue that is unrelated to Sunday’s sinkhole, it just goes to show you how quickly these massive openings can form.
Hopefully the homeowner will make a full recovery, and experts will be able to figure out what caused the sinkhole to prevent it from happening again.
