The 15-foot-wide sinkhole formed between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. as the man was working. Queen Creek spokeswoman Constance Halonen-Wilson said witnesses reported seeing him get out of his truck and disappearing a short time later.
A body has been confirmed, and fire and public works crews are continuing recovery efforts.Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Detective Doug Matteson said the man was walking to the back of the truck and taking off his work belt when he was swallowed. Matteson acknowledged it was incredibly bad luck for the ground to give way just as the man was walking in the area.
— Queen Creek official (@TOQC_official) February 6, 2016
"It's kind of like getting stuck by lightning," Matteson said.
Matteson and Halonen-Wilson say the man is feared dead and that it would be a lengthy effort to recover the body because of the abundance of loose dirt and water in the hole. The accident occurred next to an irrigated field. Authorities don't know how deep the hole is.
Fire and rescue crews were at the scene with trucks and ladders, peering into the hole as part of the recovery effort.
Queen Creek is a suburb about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix.
Source: Associated Press
Very bizarre, these stories keep popping up. Could it be due to us pumping out the oil from the ground? Like an engine running without oil, the "block" that is the crust starts to "crack".
What is this petroleum is the earth crusts' natural lube? Mother earth's crusts are absent of its natural lubrication source!