Jeff Bush Remains In Sinkhole As House Gets Demolished

Jeff Bush has not been recovered from the sinkhole that swallowed him and the contents of his bedroom on Thursday, leading authorities to take the next step to demolish the precariously resting house.

Beginning on Sunday, workers started the process of demolishing the Florida home. After attempting to salvage items from the house for the five surviving residents, they were able to return photos, military awards and the family Bible, among other items. Continuing on Monday, crews struggled to come up with a way to fill in the devastating sinkhole that took Bush’s life.

Unfortunately for Bush (pictured above), Jeff’s brother who tried desperately to save him, the attempts to recover his body have been canceled and he’s been presumed dead. His body rests somewhere in the sinkhole that measures 20 feet wide and more than 50 feet deep. "We just have not been able to locate Mr. Bush, and so for that reason, the rescue effort is being discontinued," Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill told reporters Saturday, according to CNN. "At this point, it's really not possible to recover the body."

The tragedy began on Thursday evening when a sleeping Jeff Bush fell through the collapsed floor of his bedroom, as the other residents of the house were getting ready for bed. Jeremy Bush heard the crash and the sound of his brother screaming, but his attempt to rescue his brother was to no avail.

Sinkholes are a geological occurrence that are more prevalent in Florida than in anywhere else in the country, due to the amount of limestone in the soil. Limestone and other carbonate rock are easily corroded by acidic ground water. When the rock is unable to support whatever is above it, voids form that lead to sinkholes.

Jeremy Bush, after the failed attempt to rescue his brother and now watching the house get demolished, spoke about the loss he shares with his family. "It's not just I lost my brother. There are so many memories in this house," he told Bay News 9. "My wife and her brother and the whole family.

"Every holiday, we gathered at this house. Her grandmother passed away. All the stuff to remember her by is in this house, and we're losing it all. You can't replace that. You can't replace a life being gone."