Demolition plan for Florida sinkhole house

One man is presumed dead after being sucked into the earth as he was sleeping, and now other families in the neighborhood are on edge. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

By Ian Johnston and Matthew DeLuca, NBC News

Crews began demolishing a Florida home Sunday that is perched over a huge sinkhole, after deeming it too dangerous to keep searching for the man swallowed up from his bedroom.

Rescue workers on Saturday had called off their search for 36-year-old Jeffrey Bush, whohad not been heard from since the hole appeared at about 11 p.m. ET Thursday in Seffner, near Tampa.

Unfortunately we have not been able to determine the whereabouts of Mr. Bush, Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said. With all the equipment that we brought in and specialized help, we have just not been able to locate Mr. Bush, and so for that reason the rescue effort is being discontinued.

Authorities have said the hole, which was originally about 30 feet deep, was seriously unstable. A 100-foot safety zone was set up around it Friday and homes near the hole were evacuated for fear of a sudden collapse.

Scott Audette / Reuters

Demolition crews and Hillsborough County Fire Department watch as the house, where Jeffrey Bush was swallowed by a sinkhole, is demolished in Seffner, Florida March 3, 2013.

The sinkhole now poses a safety risk to the residence next door, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue public information officer Ronnie Rivera at a noon press conference on Saturday. Family members would be allowed to enter briefly along with emergency personnel to recover belongings, Rivera said.

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Demolition plan for Florida sinkhole house