Rescue mission: Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into sinkhole over abandoned mine [View all]

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Police, firefighters, EMS and construction officials are involved in the rescue mission in the area of Marguerite Road, near Monday's Union Restaurant. Trooper Steve Limani said the search will not stop and will continue through the night if necessary.

Police said 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard may have fallen into the hole, and her 5-year-old granddaughter was found in a car nearby and was fine.

Construction equipment from a Ligonier company has been brought to the scene to help with the search efforts. The state mining department was also on scene, trying to do some excavation to help searchers gain access to the hole.

"The sinkhole, it appears that it was most likely created during the time while, unfortunately, Miss Pollard was walking around," Limani said. "There is no evidence of any time where that hole would have been here prior to her deciding to walk around looking for her cat."

"The village of Marguerite, Pleasant Unity, a lot of little villages around here are old coal patch towns. Very common to find a lot of mines in these areas, obviously a concern to have these mine subsidence issues," Bacha said

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday evening, crews brought in a trench box, which forms a structured shaft adjacent to the sinkhole to add extra support as crews continue to search for the missing woman.

https://www.wtae.com/article/search-for-missing-woman-underway-in-westmoreland-county/63079520